Two dominant backs in A'Ron Lee and Braden Gilliland are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Ragland Purple Devils will host the Appalachian Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Ragland is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their game on Friday with ease, bagging a 58-21 win over Valley Head. The victory was some much needed relief for the Purple Devils as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Ragland found their leader in sophomore Lee, who rushed for 268 yards and four TDs while picking up 12.2 yards per carry.
Ragland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 342 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
Ragland didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kobe Embry and Cody Horsley.
Meanwhile, Appalachian hadn't done well against Spring Garden recently (they were 0-4 in their previous four matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Eagles walked away with a 20-8 win over the Panthers.
Appalachian found their leader in sophomore Colton Caldwell, who rushed for 101 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Those 101 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Caldwell.
Ragland's victory was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 2-4. As for Appalachian, their win bumped their record up to 7-0.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Ragland has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 176.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Appalachian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 234.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Ragland suffered a grim 35-14 defeat to Appalachian when the teams last played back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Gilliland, who rushed for 366 yards and four scores while picking up 13.1 yards per carry. Now that the Purple Devils know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
