The Richland Royals are taking a road trip to challenge the Fossil Ridge Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Richland has three straight wins, Fossil Ridge has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Richland is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing Birdville: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Royals blew the Hawks out of the water with a 51-21 final score. Given the Royals' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 125th, while the Hawks are ranked 342nd) , the win on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jayshon Gibson
| 09/26/25 vs Birdville | 187 |
| 09/19/25 @ Brewer | 167 |
| 09/12/25 vs Denton | 290 |
It was another big night for Jayshon Gibson, who rushed for 187 yards and four scores. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 167 rushing yards. Brett Kates was another key player, rushing for 57 yards and one TD.
Richland's run defense was locked in: Birdville could only muster 3.4 yards per carry. While four picked up at least two total tackles, Quade Williams stood above the rest. He picked up two sacks, forced one fumble, and made two total tackles. Richland didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 5.6.
Richland didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jaxson Walker and De'Rion Jones. Richland received some extra help from Paxon Weeks, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Fossil Ridge played a tough matchup on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They had to suffer through a 56-14 loss at the hands of Aledo. The Panthers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 28-0.
Richland's victory bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Fossil Ridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Richland has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 245.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Fossil Ridge, though, as they've been averaging only 91.8 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Richland against Fossil Ridge when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 57-14 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Royals since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
