Gulfport has been on the road for three straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will host the Brandon Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Gulfport's defense has only allowed 14.5 points per game this season, so Brandon's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Gulfport is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Picayune, who was ranked 23rd in their home state at the time (Gulfport was ranked 13th). Gulfport put the hurt on Picayune with a sharp 41-21 victory on Friday. The Admirals might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by 20 points or more this season.
Cooper Crosby and Dakoreyon Payton were among the main playmakers for Gulfport as the former rushed for 243 yards and three touchdowns on only ten carries and the latter gained 248 total yards and two touchdowns. With that strong performance, Crosby is now averaging an impressive 122.8 rushing yards per game. Another player making a difference was Dane Sullivan, who threw for 178 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, in a tight match that could have gone either way, Brandon made off with a 29-28 win over Warren Central.
Brandon found their leader in underclassman Tyson Robinson, who rushed for 214 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.9 yards per carry. Those 214 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Robinson. The team also got some help courtesy of Cj Martin, who rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Brandon was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 301 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Warren Central only rushed for 144.
Brandon's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Jamerion Rollins and Clifton Jobe. Jobe is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least six every time he's taken the field this season. Another thorn in Warren Central's side was Khalil Norwood, who picked up a sack and made 18 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Gulfport's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Brandon, they pushed their record up to 3-1 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season.
Gulfport ended up a good deal behind Brandon in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, losing 35-20. Thankfully for Gulfport, Nate Blount Iv (who rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns) 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