The Ardmore Tigers will face off against the Harrah Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a four-game winning streak alive.
Ardmore is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They strolled past Bethany with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 55-36. The Tigers pushed the score to 42-21 by the end of the third, a deficit the Bronchos cut but never quite recovered from.
Ardmore found their leader in freshman Da'Rai Washington, who rushed for 165 yards and three scores while picking up 9.7 yards per carry. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 97 yards. JAYSHON PAYNE was in the mix as well, providing Ardmore with one TD.
Ardmore was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 413 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Ardmore's defensive line and their three sacks. Washington was especially locked on to Bethany's QB and sacked him twice. Ardmore received some extra help from PAYNE, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Harrah faced off against Madill on Thursday. The Panthers blew past the Wildcats, posting a 63-21 victory. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by 23 points or more this season.
Ardmore better keep an eye on Callan Whitnah. He was instrumental in Harrah's win, throwing for 315 yards and six touchdowns while completing 83.3% of his passes, and also punching in a pair of scores on the ground. Whitnah continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Brock Day, who rushed for 101 yards and one TD on only ten carries.
Harrah's win bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Ardmore, their victory bumped their record up to 5-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Ardmore has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 275.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Harrah struggles in that department as they've been averaging 222 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Ardmore won a game that couldn't have been any closer in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, slipping by Harrah 21-20. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Panthers' Titus Johnson, who rushed for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Tigers to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
