Hobgood Charter is 0-6 against Bear Grass Charter since September of 2022 but things could change on Friday. The Raiders will welcome the Bears at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Hobgood Charter beat Columbia 28-18. The win continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won five in a row.
Austin Mullaney had a dynamite game, rushing for 118 yards and one TD on only eight carries. He didn't just play on offense: he also made five total tackles and defended one pass. Armanti Alston was in the mix too, providing Hobgood Charter with one touchdown.
Meanwhile, while Bear Grass Charter put up plenty of points last Friday, the same can't be said for Columbia. The Bears simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Wildcats 38-0. The Bears' offense checked out after the first half but had enough points banked to take the game anyway.
Bear Grass Charter had a senior duo take command as Vance Keel gained 149 total yards and two touchdowns and Connor Clifton rushed for 133 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries. Keel's longest rush was for an incredible 72 yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Bear Grass Charter was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 261 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 178 rushing yards in ten consecutive contests dating back to last season.
The victory got Hobgood Charter back to even at 3-3. As for Bear Grass Charter, their win bumped their record up to 5-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Hobgood Charter has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 184.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Bear Grass Charter struggles in that department as they've been averaging 319.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Hobgood Charter was dealt a bruising 42-8 loss at the hands of Bear Grass Charter in their previous matchup back in November of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Keel, who rushed for 127 yards and four TDs on only 14 carries, and also picked up 55 receiving yards and one touchdown. Now that the Raiders know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
