The Atlanta Rabbits will face off against the White Oak Roughnecks at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Atlanta comes in on three and White Oak on four.
Atlanta is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They claimed a resounding 60-17 win over Mount Vernon on the road. Given the Rabbits' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 290th, while the Tigers are ranked 743rd), the result on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Atlanta's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Markeylin Batton led the charge by rushing for 138 yards and two touchdowns, while also picking up 98 receiving yards and two touchdowns. With that strong performance, Batton is now averaging an impressive 101.5 rushing yards per game. Another signal caller making a difference was Peyton Harrison, who threw for 235 yards and five touchdowns on perfect 9-for-9 passing.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Atlanta was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 290 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved they're rushing yard total in three consecutive contests.
Atlanta wouldn't let Mount Vernon keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Landon ?Boosie? Johnson, Caleb Francisco, and Francisco picked up one apiece.
While White Oak didn't have the best season last year (they finished 0-10), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. In a tight match that could have gone either way, they made off with a 35-34 victory over Queen City.
White Oak got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Jaxsen Ludlow out in front who threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 85 yards. Junior Allen was another key player, rushing for 89 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries.
Atlanta's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for White Oak, their win bumped their record up to 4-0.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Atlanta has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 166.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like White Oak struggles in that department as they've been averaging 217. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Atlanta against White Oak in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, as the team secured a 67-0 victory. Will Atlanta repeat their success, or does White Oak have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
