The Alexander Cougars will face off against the East Paulding Raiders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, Alexander turned things around against Kennesaw Mountain on Friday. They walked away with a 28-21 win over the Mustangs.
Jaquan Sutton went supernova, rushing for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 8.3 yards per carry. Another player making a difference was Andre Lovett, who picked up 133 receiving yards and one TD.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Alexander was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 220 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, East Paulding never let their opponents score on Friday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 49-0 victory over Lithia Springs. That 49 point margin sets a new team best for the Raiders this season.
East Paulding's win came from a few key players Alexander will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Bode Spence, who threw for 158 yards and three touchdowns while completing 85% of his passes. What's more, he racked up 145.4 passer rating, the most he's had since back in August of 2024. Jason Green was another key player, picking up 65 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to East Paulding's defense and their 5.5 sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Treveon Lewis and Mason Wright, who racked up four sacks between them. Wright also made six total tackles, which is notable because East Paulding is 2-1 when he posts at least four total tackles, but 1-2 otherwise. Sam Lumpkin was another major factor on D, making six total tackles (5.0 for loss).
Alexander's win was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 2-5. As for East Paulding, their victory was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 3-3.
Alexander was dealt a bruising 45-6 defeat at the hands of East Paulding in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Will the Cougars 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.
