Apalachee is 0-4 against Clarke Central since September of 2014 but things could change on Friday. The Apalachee Wildcats will challenge the Clarke Central Gladiators at 7:30 p.m.
Apalachee is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 13th straight game dating back to last season back in August. They came up short against Walnut Grove, falling 35-13. The Wildcats were down 35-6 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Meanwhile, the third road match was the charm for Clarke Central, as they earned their first road win of the season. They strolled past Jackson County with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 27-11.
Clarke Central relied on the efforts of Corey Watkins Jr, who rushed for 203 yards and a touchdown while picking up 10.2 yards per carry, and Hezekiah Millender, who rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Watkins Jr was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 63 yards.
Clarke Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 335 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
One reason for the win was Clarke Central's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. In that department, Kelin Fanning was the leader with two. Another thorn in Jackson County's side was Anthony Lonon Jr, who picked up a sack and made eight total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Apalachee's loss dropped their record down to 0-3. As for Clarke Central, their victory ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-2.
Things could have been worse for Apalachee, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 31-17 loss to Clarke Central in their previous matchup back in September of 2021. Thankfully for Apalachee, William Richardson (who rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
