Two dominant signal callers in Weston Nielsen and Jase Watkins are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. After each having a week off, the Bastrop Bears and the Pflugerville Connally Cougars will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Bastrop knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past five contests -- so hopefully Pflugerville Connally likes a good challenge.
Last Thursday, Bastrop humbled McCallum with a 69-7 victory. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 241st, while the Knights are ranked 604th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Dallas Crescenzo
| 09/25/25 @ McCallum | 2 |
| 09/12/25 vs Prestonwood Christian | 2 |
| 09/19/25 vs Crockett | 1 |
| 09/05/25 @ China Spring | 1 |
| 08/29/25 vs Alvin | 1 |
Gary Jefferson Jr. had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns on only ten carries, while also picking up 45 receiving yards and one score. His longest rush was for an impressive 55 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Dallas Crescenzo was in the mix too, providing Bastrop with two TDs.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Bastrop was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 278 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since the start of last season.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Cougars last Friday. Pflugerville Connally simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Crockett 62-14. Pflugerville Connally's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Pflugerville Connally's win came from a few key players Bastrop will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Taj Gaddy, who rushed for 156 yards and a pair of scores on only ten carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Joshua Whitehead, who gained 109 total yards and two touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Pflugerville Connally's defense and their 3.5 sacks. Leading the way was Bryson Reed with two. Pflugerville Connally got some further help from Dereon Stevens: he made 12 total tackles (1.0 for loss) and snagged an interception.
Pflugerville Connally's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 3-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 46.3 points over those games. As for Bastrop, their record is now 5-0.
The upcoming game will be a clash of competing strengths. Bastrop has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 302.2 passing yards per game. Pflugerville Connally, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 219.4 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Thursday? There's only one way to find out.
Everything came up roses for Bastrop against Pflugerville Connally in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 67-21 win. In that matchup, the Bears amassed a halftime lead of 47-14, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Thursday.
