The Richland Rangers will head out to challenge the Leake Central Gators at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Richland will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up three points last Friday, then bounced right back against East Rankin Academy on Thursday. The Rangers blew past the Patriots 35-13. Considering the Rangers' offense had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Richland's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Zae'Lon Beverly led the charge by throwing for 156 yards and three TDs while completing 91.7% of his passes, and also rushing for 33 yards. Christian Anderson was in the mix as well, providing the Rangers with two scores.
Meanwhile, Leake Central waltzed into their contest on Thursday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 41-6 win over the Trojans. That 35 point margin sets a new team best for the Gators this season.
Leake Central's win came from a few key players Richland will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Israel Ross, who rushed for 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only ten carries, and also picked up 68 receiving yards and one TD. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in August. Javario Daley was another key rusher, rushing for 136 yards and one score while picking up 7.2 yards per carry.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Leake Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 305 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Richland's record is now 6-4. As for Leake Central, their record now sits at 8-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Richland has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 185.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Leake Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 184.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
