Brandon and Petal are an even 5-5 against one another since October of 2016, but not for long. The Brandon Bulldogs will take on the Petal Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Brandon is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 43 points per game this season.
Brandon is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Gulfport, who was ranked 11th in their home state at the time (Brandon was ranked first). Brandon blew past Gulfport, posting a 42-0 victory on the road. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Bulldogs.
Brandon can attribute much of their success to Tyson Robinson, who gained 167 total yards and two touchdowns, and Sladen Shack, who threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns while completing 81.3% of his passes.
Brandon wouldn't let Gulfport keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Brandon can thank Braxton Wells and Khalil Norwood for forcing both of them. Norwood is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last 18 games he's played dating back to last season. Lahare Bolls was another major factor on D, making six total tackles and defending three passes in addition to snagging an interception which he returned one-yard for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Petal entered their match against Picayune on Friday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. Petal fell just short of Picayune by a score of 24-21. The Panthers' loss signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
Brandon's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Petal, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-2.
Everything came up roses for Brandon against Petal in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, as the squad secured a 54-17 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Brandon since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
