Walnut Ridge is 0-3 against Rivercrest since October of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The Bobcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Colts at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Walnut Ridge sitting on five straight wins and Rivercrest on three.
Walnut Ridge is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Piggott 69-8. With the Bobcats ahead 54-0 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Walnut Ridge to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jace Blake, who threw for 174 yards and three touchdowns while completing 88.9% of his passes, and also rushed for 54 yards and one TD. Jersie Cunningham was another key player, picking up 75 receiving yards and three scores.
Meanwhile, it looked like the Kentucky Derby when Rivercrest faced off against Hoxie on Friday. The Colts walked away with a 28-21 victory over the Mustangs. Those 28 points were actually the fewest the Colts have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Rivercrest's win came from a few key players Walnut Ridge will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jayden Ralph, who threw for 249 yards and three TDs while completing 76.9% of his passes. Those 249 passing yards gave him a new career-high. Lexx Latham helped Ralph out on the ground, picking up 116 receiving yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 84 yards.
Rivercrest didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jamaris Byrd and Buddah Harris.
Walnut Ridge's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Rivercrest, their victory bumped their record up to 4-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Walnut Ridge has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 276 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Rivercrest struggles in that department as they've been averaging 205 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Walnut Ridge was dealt a bruising 51-20 loss at the hands of Rivercrest when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Bobcats, Cavonta Washington (who threw for 416 yards and six TDs while picking up 13.9 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 77 yards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
