Two dominant signal callers in Ripken Birdwell and Isaiah Parker are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Hooks Hornets will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Daingerfield Tigers at 7:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Hooks sitting on three straight wins and Daingerfield on four.
Hooks is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their matchup on Friday with ease, bagging a 65-3 victory over Hughes Springs. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Hornets' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 418th, while the Mustangs are ranked 993rd).
Jay Smith
| 08/29/25 vs Harmony | 229 |
| 10/10/25 @ Hughes Springs | 114 |
| 10/03/25 @ Timpson | 80 |
| 09/26/25 vs Queen City | 38 |
A big part of Hooks' win came down to the chemistry between Fabean Grigsby and his top target Jay Smith. Grigsby picked up 80 receiving yards and one score while Smith picked up 114 receiving yards and one TD. Smith is becoming a predictor of Hooks' success: when he posts at least 80 receiving yards the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Justin Daniels made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Hooks was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 366 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Hooks didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Wiley Melton and Daniels. Hooks got some further help from Trenton Haynes: he picked up two sacks and made 14 total tackles (7.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter and that's exactly how it played out for Daingerfield on Thursday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Queen City out of the water with an 82-14 final score. That 68 point margin sets a new team best for the Tigers this season.
Hooks better focus on containing Reign Wallace and Ashton Williams as the pair were huge in Daingerfield's win. Wallace gained 153 total yards and four touchdowns, while Williams gained 126 total yards and three touchdowns. What's more, Williams posted two rushing touchdowns, the most he's had since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Micah Broughton, who rushed for 76 yards and one touchdown on only six carries.
Daingerfield now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Hooks, their victory bumped their record up to 4-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Hooks has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 212.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Daingerfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 150.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Hooks was taken down by Daingerfield 42-0 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Hornets, Chase Johnson (who rushed for 111 yards and three scores on only six carries, and also threw for 177 yards and a pair of TDs on only 15 passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
