The Cleburne Yellowjackets will head out to challenge the Waco Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Last Friday, Cleburne was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 13-8 to Burleson. The Yellowjackets gained 101 more yards on the day, but it was the Elks that made the best use of them.
Despite their loss, Cleburne saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Hayden Leifeste, who rushed for 113 yards, and also picked up 40 receiving yards, was perhaps the best of all. Cleburne also got help from Jayden Navarrete, who showed off his sure hands for 89 receiving yards.
Cleburne wouldn't let Burleson keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Cleburne can thank Cordae Simmons and Kaj Anderson for forcing both of them.
Even though they lost, Cleburne was moving up and down the field and finished the game with 428 total yards. That's the most total yards they've posted since was before the start of last season.
Meanwhile, Waco came into Thursday's match having lost ten straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They strolled past Corsicana with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 20-6.
Mason Smith was a one-man wrecking crew for Waco as he rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns. The dominant performance gave him a new career- in total yards.
This is the second loss in a row for Cleburne and nudges their season record down to 0-2. As for Waco, their win ended a four-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 1-1.
Cleburne beat Waco 8-0 in their previous matchup back in October of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Cleburne 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
