Pittsburg hasn't had much luck against Gilmer recently, but that could start to change on Friday. After each having a week off, the two teams will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. Gilmer took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Pittsburg, who comes in off a win.
Pittsburg took a 20-point defeat the last time they faced off against Dallas Christian, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Pirates sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 23-20 win over the Chargers last Friday. The 23-point effort marked the Pirates' lowest-scoring contest of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
A big part of Pittsburg's victory came down to the chemistry between Kord Johnson and his top target Seven Duffey. Johnson rushed for 61 yards and two scores while Duffey rushed for 95 yards and one TD. Duffey really tore up the turf during one magnificent 95-yard run.
Pittsburg was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 216 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.
Meanwhile, Gilmer played a tough game last Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by Brenham and fell 49-7. The Buckeyes were already down big by the end of the third quarter and they stayed that way after failing to score in the fourth.
Pittsburg will need to focus on slowing down Zade Taylor, one of several Gilmer players who made an impact when they last played. He threw for 201 yards on 14 of 26 attempts, and also punched in one touchdown on the ground. A healthy portion of Taylor's aerial production (104 yards to be exact) went to Solomon Jackson.
Pittsburg's record now sits at 4-1. As for Gilmer, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Pittsburg has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 174.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Gilmer struggles in that department as they've been averaging 183 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Pittsburg was taken down by Gilmer 49-0 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Can the Pirates avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
