Joaquin is 8-2 against Shelbyville since October of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Rams will venture away from home to take on the Dragons at 7:30 p.m. Shelbyville took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Joaquin, who comes in off a win.
On Friday, Joaquin didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Timpson, but they still walked away with a 18-12 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rams.
Trenton Runnels
| 10/24/25 @ Timpson | 141.4 |
| 09/04/25 vs Beckville | 137.5 |
| 09/26/25 @ Corrigan-Camden | 130.6 |
| 09/11/25 @ Tenaha | 118.8 |
| 10/17/25 vs Hemphill | 107.3 |
| + 2 more games |
Joaquin's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Trenton Runnels led the charge by throwing for 116 yards and one touchdown on only seven passes, while also punching in one score on the ground. Runnels' passing game has become a key predictor of the Rams' success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 1-3 otherwise. A healthy portion of Runnels' aerial production (100 yards to be exact) went to Conner Rios, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Joaquin was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 260 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 184 rushing yards in 13 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Shelbyville ended up a good deal behind San Augustine on Friday and lost 21-6. The game marked the Dragons' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Shelbyville dropped their record down to 2-6 with the defeat, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Joaquin, their victory bumped their record up to 5-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Joaquin has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 250.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Shelbyville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 169.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything went Joaquin's way against Shelbyville when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as Joaquin made off with a 54-30 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Dragons' Dj Barnes, who rushed for 137 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 7.6 yards per carry, and also threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Rams to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
