The Buchholz Bobcats will take on the Bartram Trail Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The timing is sure in Buchholz's favor as the team sits on three straight wins at home while Bartram Trail has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.
Last Friday, Buchholz was fully in charge, breezing past Tocoi Creek 42-7. The Bobcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four contests by 20 points or more this season.
Buchholz got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Andrew Whittemore out in front who rushed for 14 yards and a pair of TDs, and also threw for 69 yards and two touchdowns. The Bobcats' leading receiver Justin Williams was Whittemore's top target yet again, picking up 51 receiving yards and a pair of scores, while also rushing for 50 yards.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Buchholz proved: they limited Tocoi Creek to a paltry 0.1 yards per carry. The Bobcats' ground attack was stronger, having averaged 4.9.
Meanwhile, Bartram Trail ended up a good deal behind St. Augustine on Friday and lost 34-20. While losing is never fun, the Bears can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 85th, while the Yellow Jackets are ranked 12th).
Buchholz will have to contain Arthur Lewis as he made an impact in Bartram Trail's last game. He rushed for 53 yards and two TDs. Leo Marucci also helped out with an impressive 87 receiving yards.
Buchholz's win bumped their record up to 7-1. As for Bartram Trail, their loss dropped their record down to 2-6.
Thursday's game might be decided on the ground. Buchholz has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 180.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Bartram Trail struggles in that department as they've been averaging 195.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Buchholz won a contest that couldn't have been any closer in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, slipping by Bartram Trail 38-37. Will the Bobcats repeat their success, or do the Bears have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
