The Madisonville Mustangs will face off against the Center Roughriders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
Madisonville is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 38 points two weeks ago, they were much more limited against Columbus on Friday. They took a 28-13 bruising from the Cardinals. The defeat continues a trend for the Mustangs in their meetings with the Cardinals: they've now lost four in a row.
Madisonville might have lost, but man, Jaden Simpson was a machine: he rushed for 145 yards and a pair of scores while picking up 8.1 yards per carry. Simpson showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 62 yards.
Meanwhile, Center came up short against Daingerfield on Friday and fell 38-27.
Although Center took the loss, they still got scores from Jaysis Villegas, Eli Olivas, and Decaden Cooks.
Most of the squad's points came courtesy of special teams, who contributed 15 in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Villegas, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Madisonville's loss dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Center, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 2-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Madisonville has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 301.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Center struggles in that department as they've been averaging 264.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Madisonville couldn't quite finish off Center in their previous meeting back in September of 2024 and fell 17-14. Will the Mustangs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
