Hickman and Smith-Cotton are an even 4-4 against one another since October of 2016, but not for long. The Hickman Kewpies will square off against the Smith-Cotton Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hickman is no doubt hoping to put an end to a seven-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Having struggled with 13 losses in a row dating back to last season, Hickman finally turned things around against Battle/Columbia Independent on Friday. They took down the Spartans 34-20. The Kewpies' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Meanwhile, Smith-Cotton was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat dating back to last season. They took a 35-28 hit to the loss column at the hands of Jefferson City.
Despite their loss, Smith-Cotton saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Beau Gray, who threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries, was perhaps the best of all. Kyren Staten also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Smith-Cotton's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Nikah Cole and Emanuel Neal. Smith-Cotton got some further help from Samuel Wright: he made 16 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Hickman's victory ended a six-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 1-3. As for Smith-Cotton, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-4.
Hickman might still be hurting after the 52-28 loss they got from Smith-Cotton in their previous matchup back in September of 2023. Can Hickman avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
