Clarke Central has been on the road for three straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will welcome the Apalachee Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. Apalachee took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Clarke Central, who comes in off a win.
Last Friday, Clarke Central didn't have too much trouble with Jackson County on the road as they won 27-11.
Clarke Central had a senior duo take command as Corey Watkins Jr rushed for 203 yards and a touchdown while picking up 10.2 yards per carry and Hezekiah Millender rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns. That's the most rushing yards Watkins Jr has posted since back in October of 2023.
One reason for the win was Clarke Central's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. In that department, Kelin Fanning was the leader with two. Clarke Central got some further help from Anthony Lonon Jr: he picked up a sack and made eight total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Clarke Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 335 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Apalachee was not able to break out of their rough patch back in August as the team picked up their 13th straight loss dating back to last season. They lost 35-13 to Walnut Grove. The Wildcats were down 35-6 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Clarke Central's victory ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-2. As for Apalachee, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-3.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's game: Clarke Central has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 354 total yards per game. It's a different story for Apalachee, though, as they've been averaging only 111. Will Clarke Central be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will Apalachee flip the script?
Clarke Central strolled past Apalachee in their previous matchup back in September of 2021 by a score of 31-17. Does Clarke Central have another victory up their sleeve, or will Apalachee turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
