The Barton Bears will head out to challenge the Lakeside Beavers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Barton took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They took down Drew Central 39-20. The victory was some much needed relief for the Bears as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, Lakeside hadn't done well against Rison recently (they were 0-7 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Beavers claimed a resounding 52-12 win over the Wildcats. The Beavers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by 20 points or more this season.
Barton better keep an eye on AJ Wilson. He was instrumental in Lakeside's win, rushing for 106 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries. They are 2-1 when Wilson posts 100 or more rushing yards, but 2-3 otherwise.
Lakeside was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 421 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 164 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Lakeside's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Alex Akins, Antwone Griffin, and Curtis O'Neal, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Barton's victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 3-5. As for Lakeside, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Everything came up roses for Barton against Lakeside in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 51-22 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bears 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
