The Ragsdale Tigers will take on the Western Guilford Hornets at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Western Guilford took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Ragsdale, who comes in off a win.
Having struggled with six defeats in a row, Ragsdale finally turned things around against Southwest Guilford on Friday. They breezed by the Cowboys to the tune of 44-7. The Tigers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Fabian Diggs was his usual excellent self, rushing for 178 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.1 yards per carry. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in September of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Braylon Louis, who threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes.
Ragsdale was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 255 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Southwest Guilford only rushed for 75.
Ragsdale didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Devin Chandler and Maurice Dines Jr..
Meanwhile, Western Guilford was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were outmatched by Northern Guilford at home and fell 49-14. While losing is never fun, the Hornets can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 113th, while the Nighthawks are ranked 18th).
Despite the defeat, Western Guilford got top-tier performance from Elijah Hayes, who picked up 46 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 90 yards on only nine carries.
Western Guilford wouldn't let Northern Guilford keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Western Guilford can thank Nas Holmes and Xavier Dixon for forcing both of them. Another thorn in Northern Guilford's side was Daniel Williams, who picked up a sack and made 13 total tackles.
Ragsdale's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-6. As for Western Guilford, they now have a losing record at 4-5.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Ragsdale has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 182.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Western Guilford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 196.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Ragsdale didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Western Guilford when the teams last played back in October of 2023, but they still walked away with a 17-13 victory. Does Ragsdale have another victory up their sleeve, or will Western Guilford turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
