The Stanhope Elmore Mustangs are taking a road trip to face off against the Pike Road Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Stanhope Elmore is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 35 points last Friday, they were much more limited against Russell County on Friday. They took a hard 28-10 fall against the Warriors. The matchup marked the Mustangs' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Meanwhile, Pike Road really took it to Park Crossing for the full four quarters, racking up a 54-7 win. With the Patriots ahead 33-0 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Stanhope Elmore better keep an eye on Gunner Gibbs. He was instrumental in Pike Road's win, throwing for 200 yards and four touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes. What's more, Gibbs racked up 153.3 passer rating, the most he's had since back in October of 2024.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Pike Road proved: they limited Park Crossing to a paltry 2.3 yards per carry. While two picked up at least five total tackles, Landon Herring stood above the rest. He made five total tackles and snagged an interception which he returned one-yard for a touchdown. Pike Road's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 5.4.
Pike Road didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Herring and William Ballard. Herring got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Pike Road is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 7.4 points on average over those games. As for Stanhope Elmore, their loss was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 4-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Stanhope Elmore has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 264.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pike Road struggles in that department as they've been averaging 192.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Stanhope Elmore ended up a good deal behind Pike Road in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, losing 35-17. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
