The Gatlinburg-Pittman Highlanders will venture away from home to square off against the Johnson County Longhorns at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Gatlinburg-Pittman lost 34-14 to Fulton on Friday.
Meanwhile, Johnson County put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They enjoyed a cozy 49-32 victory over Ashe County. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Longhorns, who until this matchup were averaging 12.6 points allowed.
Johnson County's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Juan Mejia, who rushed for 122 yards and three touchdowns. Mejia's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 119 rushing yards dating back to last season. Jace Stout was another key player, rushing for 112 yards.
Johnson County's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Sam Cretsinger and Stout. Cretsinger also set a new season high mark in total tackles with 14.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Johnson County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 318 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 195 rushing yards in five consecutive matches.
Gatlinburg-Pittman's defeat dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Johnson County, their victory bumped their record up to 5-0.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Gatlinburg-Pittman has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 235.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Johnson County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 272.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Gatlinburg-Pittman against Johnson County in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, as the squad secured a 49-6 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Gatlinburg-Pittman since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
