The Putnam County War Eagles will square off against the Jasper County Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Putnam County is likely headed into the matchup with a focus on the second half, which is when things went downhill against Lamar County on Friday. The War Eagles took a 25-14 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Trojans. The War Eagles haven't had much luck with the Trojans recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Although Putnam County took the loss, they still got scores from Brandon Jackson and Omarion Butts.
Meanwhile, Jasper County put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Social Circle 42-7. The result was nothing new for the Hurricanes, who have now won five contests by 28 points or more so far this season.
Jasper County's win came from a few key players Putnam County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was JaMarkus Thomas, who rushed for 144 yards on only 14 carries, and also threw for 117 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 88.9% of his passes. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in passing touchdowns (two). Another player making a difference was Chance Ross, who rushed for 135 yards and two scores.
Jasper County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 376 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 165 rushing yards in 11 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Jasper County didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Zech Smith and Brelynd Beasley.
Putnam County's defeat dropped their record down to 5-4. As for Jasper County, their win bumped their record up to 8-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Putnam County has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 175.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Jasper County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 267.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Putnam County was able to grind out a solid victory over Jasper County when the teams last played back in October of 2024, winning 21-14. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Hurricanes' Jalen Stewart, who rushed for 148 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the War Eagles to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
