The Idabel Warriors will venture away from home to take on the Checotah Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Idabel has four straight victories, Checotah has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Thursday, Idabel strolled past Eufaula with points to spare, taking the game 34-19.
Idabel's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Mack Dixon led the charge by throwing for 280 yards and three TDs while picking up 11.7 yards per attempt, and also rushing for 54 yards and one touchdown. Dixon also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making eight total tackles and defending one pass. Jordyn Lewis was Dixon's top target, picking up 93 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

Benny Mthethwa
| 09/19/25 @ Ashdown | 168 |
| 10/23/25 vs Eufaula | 164 |
| 09/26/25 @ Holland Hall | 138 |
| 10/10/25 @ Muldrow | 87 |
| 10/03/25 vs Stigler | 81 |
| + 3 more games |
Idabel didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Chris Bloodsoe and Benny Mthethwa. Mthethwa also posted 164 receiving yards, which is notable because Idabel is 4-1 when he posts at least 80 receiving yards, but 1-2 otherwise.
Meanwhile, Checotah fell victim to Lincoln Christian and their airtight defense on Thursday. They were beaten by the Bulldogs 56-0. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Wildcats were not able to get on the board.
Idabel's win bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Checotah, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Idabel has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 172.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Checotah struggles in that department as they've been averaging 187.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Idabel strolled past Checotah in their previous matchup back in November of 2024 by a score of 38-23. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Wildcats' Elijah Thomas, who picked up 199 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Warriors to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps