Tahoka is preparing for their first district matchup of the season on Friday. After each having a week off, they and the Ropes Eagles will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. That game will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Uzziah Martinez and Ryland Kieth.
Tahoka's offense might be in the hot seat on Friday considering what happened against Grape Creek last Friday. They took a blow against the Eagles, falling 41-0. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Bulldogs were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, Ropes waltzed into their matchup last Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Buffaloes 59-0. The Eagles pushed the score to 45-0 by the end of the third, a deficit the Buffaloes had no chance of recovering from.
Ropes' win came from a few key players Tahoka will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Zayden Pittman, who picked up 33 receiving yards and one TD, and also punched in one touchdown on the ground. What's more, he racked up 79 passing yards, the most he's had since back in October of 2024. Ropes also got a significant boost from Jaivyth Cruz, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 86 yards.
Ropes was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 371 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 312 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
One reason for the win was Ropes' imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Jackson Lehnen was especially locked on to Forsan's QB and sacked him twice. Lehnen is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least five every time he's taken the field this season. Pittman got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Ropes' record is now 4-1. As for Tahoka, their loss dropped their record down to 3-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Tahoka has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 251.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Ropes struggles in that department as they've been averaging 278.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Tahoka and Ropes were almost perfectly matched up in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, but Tahoka suffered an agonizing 35-34 defeat. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
