Wharton hasn't had much luck against La Marque recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Tigers will challenge the Cougars at 7:00 p.m. Wharton knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past four matchups -- so hopefully La Marque likes a good challenge.
On Friday, Wharton was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 42-36 to Columbia. While the Tigers had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Roughnecks 18-7.
Ja'Keon Jackson
| 09/26/25 vs Columbia | 172 |
| 09/19/25 vs Hempstead | 92 |
| 09/13/25 @ Houston Math Science & Tech | 57 |
| 09/05/25 @ Worthing | 75 |
| 08/29/25 vs El Campo | 105 |
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Ja'Keon Jackson, who rushed for 172 yards and one touchdown on only 11 carries, and also threw for 100 yards and three TDs. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 100.2 rushing yards per game. Brandon Sims Jr also helped out as he racked up 122 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask La Marque). They took their contest on Thursday with ease, bagging a 74-12 victory over Harmony School of Innovation. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by 57 points or more this season.
La Marque's win came from a few key players Wharton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Deuce Walker, who threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns while completing 90% of his passes, and also rushed for 37 yards and one score. Cory Hosea also helped with two TDs in total.
La Marque was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 300 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Harmony School of Innovation only rushed for -10.
La Marque's defense made their presence known, laying out Zubayr Greer four times. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece. La Marque received some extra help from Kylan Thomas, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
The win made it two in a row for La Marque and bumps their season record up to 4-1. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.0 points over those games. As for Wharton, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-2.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Jackson and Walker. Jackson just won't slow down this season and has thrown 11 touchdowns (and and only 2 pick) while averaging 117.2 passing yards per game. Walker has been a dominant force too and has thrown 13 touchdowns while averaging 242.6 passing yards per game.
Wharton took a serious blow against La Marque in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 42-6. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Tigers were down 28-6.
