Two dominant backs in Riley Bingham and Demarcus Belton are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Kennedale Wildcats will be playing at home against the Alvarado Indians at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Alvarado will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Kennedale extended their winning streak to five on Friday. The Wildcats claimed a resounding 41-14 win over Lake Worth. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Wildcats' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 259th, while the Bullfrogs are ranked 740th).
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Kennedale, racking up 11 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of George Hunt, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Alvarado's rock-solid defense showed up for the team's third consecutive shutout on Friday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 48-0 victory over Castleberry. Those 48 points were actually the fewest the Indians have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Alvarado's win came from a few key players Kennedale will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was KJ Jenkins, who threw for 388 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 13.4 yards per attempt. He has been hot recently, having posted three or more passing touchdowns the last four times he's played. Schyler Dethorne helped Jenkins out on the ground, picking up 65 receiving yards and one score, while also punching in a pair of TDs on the ground.
Alvarado didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Castleberry to a completion percentage of just 20%. The team can thank Jeylon Brown for the heroic effort on defense: he. Alvarado hasn't an opponent to post a completion percentage of 0.67 or higher in four consecutive games.
Alvarado's defense didn't let Ethan Chappell, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for five sacks. Logan Woolard was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up 2.5 himself.
Alvarado's win bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Kennedale, their victory bumped their record up to 6-3.
The upcoming matchup will be a clash of competing strengths. Kennedale has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 277.8 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Alvarado has preferred to attack from the air: they average 302.5 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Kennedale took a serious blow against Alvarado in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, falling 42-7. Will the Wildcats have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
