The Richland Royals put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their undefeated season alive. They were the clear victor by a 42-18 margin over Birdville. Given Richland's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 148th, while Birdville is ranked 484th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Richland's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Michael Turner, who rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.6 yards per carry. Turner is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last four games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Drew Kates, who rushed for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Although Birdville took the loss, they still got scores from Brian Kent and Noah Normand.
Richland's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which bumped their overall record up to 8-0. That said, the team wasn't facing the toughest opposition over that stretch, as it included 1-8 Turner and 1-7 Adams (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 19.7% over those games). As for Birdville, they have fallen quite a ways from their 8-3 record last season and are now at 3-5.
Richland will be playing in front of their home fans against Mansfield Timberview at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Mansfield Timberview is also coming in off of a big victory, so somebody is in for a big reversal of fortune. As for Birdville, they will head out on the road to face off against Adams at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
