After each having a week off, the Tohopekaliga Tigers and the St. Cloud Bulldogs will shake off the cobwebs and challenge one another at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Tohopekaliga is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They walked away with a 31-21 victory over Lake Brantley last Friday. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Tigers with their most commanding win of the season.
Jaxson Hardnett was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, and also picked up 35 receiving yards. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards. Tohopekaliga also got help from Cecil Punter, who showed off his sure hands for 105 receiving yards.
Tohopekaliga wouldn't let Lake Brantley keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Hardnett, Chase Gilbert, and Chris Charity picked up one apiece. Gilbert is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last six games he's played dating back to last season. Ryan Wells was another major factor on D, making 18 total tackles and snagged an interception which he returned one-yard for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, St. Cloud had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They enjoyed a cozy 20-6 win over Gateway last Friday.
St. Cloud got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Logan King out in front who threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Terrence ?Tj? Griffin helped King out on the ground, picking up 88 receiving yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 33 yards.
The win made it two in a row for Tohopekaliga and bumps their season record up to 4-2. As for St. Cloud, their record now sits at 3-4.
Tohopekaliga took their victory against St. Cloud when the teams last played back in September of 2023 by a conclusive 41-19. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was St. Cloud's Alexander Springs, who picked up 111 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Tohopekaliga still be able to contain Springs? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
