The Lampasas Badgers will square off against the West Plains Wolves at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Lampasas is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They breezed past Lake View to the tune of 45-14. The Badgers pushed the score to 42-14 by the end of the third, a deficit the Chiefs/Maidens had little chance of recovering from.
Lampasas' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Wesley Stephens led the charge by rushing for 107 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. That's the most rushing touchdowns Stephens has posted since back in September. Jaden McElwain was in the mix as well, providing Lampasas with two scores.
Lampasas' run defense was locked in: Lake View could only muster 2.8 yards per carry. The team can thank Trent Rogers for the heroic effort on defense: he. Lampasas didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.9.
Jonathan Bowling
| 11/13/25 @ Lake View | 10 |
| 10/31/25 vs Marble Falls | 9 |
| 10/24/25 @ Stephenville | 8 |
| 10/17/25 vs Burnet | 18 |
| 10/10/25 @ Brownwood | 11 |
| + 6 more games |
Lampasas didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Jonathan Bowling led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. Bowling is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least seven every time he's taken the field this season. Another thorn in Lake View's side was Rogers, who forced one fumble, made 13 total tackles, and defended one pass.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask West Plains). Their defense stepped up to hand Irvin an 85-0 shutout on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Wolves, who have now won nine matchups by 23 points or more so far this season.
Lampasas better keep an eye on SLADE RUSSELL. He was instrumental in West Plains' win, rushing for 118 yards and four TDs on only eight carries. Another player making a difference was REID MACON, who threw for 115 yards and three touchdowns on perfect 7-for-7 passing.
Special teams played a big role in the game for West Plains, adding 17 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of PAXTON CHANDLER, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to West Plains' defense and their 4.5 sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: GIANNI PECK, LUKE BULLARD, and JACOB CROWE, who each picked up 0.5 sacks apiece.
The victory was the sixth in a row for West Plains, bringing their record up to 10-1. Those wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 12.3 points on average over those games. As for Lampasas, their record now sits at 9-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Lampasas has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 243.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like West Plains struggles in that department as they've been averaging 286.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Lampasas was taken down by West Plains 63-35 in their previous matchup back in November of 2024. Can the Badgers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
