The Checotah Wildcats will challenge the Idabel Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Checotah has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Idabel will arrive with four straight victories.
Checotah's offense might be in the hot seat on Friday considering what happened against Lincoln Christian on Thursday. They had to suffer through a 56-0 loss at the hands of the Bulldogs. While losing is never fun, the Wildcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Oklahoma football rankings (they are ranked 111th, while the Bulldogs are ranked fourth).
Meanwhile, Idabel didn't have too much trouble with Eufaula on Thursday as they won 34-19.
Idabel's win came from a few key players Checotah will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Mack Dixon, who threw for 280 yards and three TDs while picking up 11.7 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 54 yards and one score. He also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making eight total tackles and defending one pass. Jordyn Lewis was Dixon's top target, picking up 93 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Idabel didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Chris Bloodsoe and Benny Mthethwa. Mthethwa also posted 164 receiving yards, which is notable because Idabel is 4-1 when he posts at least 80 receiving yards, but 1-2 otherwise.
Checotah's loss dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Idabel, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Checotah has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 187.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Idabel struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 172.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Checotah ended up a good deal behind Idabel in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, losing 38-23. Will the Wildcats have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
