Shepherd couldn't capitalize on their home-field advantage in their season opener. They lost 34-14 to the Kirbyville Wildcats on Friday. The Pirates were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Wildcats apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in November of 2023.
Despite the loss, Shepherd still got an impressive performance from Preston Stephens, who rushed for 191 yards and a touchdown while picking up 9.1 yards per carry, and also caught a touchdown. Another rusher making a difference was Jevaris Marsh, who gained 128 total yards.
Even though they lost, Shepherd was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 308 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 176 rushing yards in 13 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Shepherd will head out to face off against Coldspring-Oakhurst at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Kirbyville, they will challenge Bridge City at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
