The Baker Hornets will be playing in front of their home fans against the Auburn Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Thursday, Baker faced Mountain Brook in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Baker walked away with a 37-28 win over Mountain Brook. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Baker.
It was another big night for Josh Flowers, who rushed for 238 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.5 yards per carry, and also threw for 187 yards and a touchdown. Flowers has been hot recently, having posted 100 or more rushing yards the last six times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Kevin Beckham Jr., who picked up 142 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Baker, racking up 13 points in total. All those points came courtesy of Blayne Munson: he added nine points with three field goals, and another four kicking extra points.
Meanwhile, Auburn stacked a fifth blowout onto their ever-increasing hoard on Friday. They blew past Smiths Station 49-8 at home. Given Auburn's advantage in MaxPreps' Alabama football rankings (they are ranked sixth, while Smiths Station is ranked 137th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Auburn found their leader in underclassman Omar Mabson, who rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns on only six carries. Mabson was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 63 yards. Another player making a difference was Tyler Flakes, who rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries.
Their wins lifted both teams to an identical 8-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Baker has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 244.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Auburn struggles in that department as they've been averaging 199.6 per game. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
Baker was taken down by Auburn 39-3 in their previous matchup back in November of 2021. Will Baker 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.
