A feisty cat fight will be fought as Godby Cougars challenge St. John Paul II Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Godby is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
Godby will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs two weeks ago, then bounced right back against Gadsden County on Tuesday. Godby put the hurt on Gadsden County with a sharp 21-1 win. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Cougars as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Jaylen Roque
| 02/20/25 @ Florida State University High School | 5 |
| 03/07/25 @ Wakulla Christian School | 3 |
| 02/14/25 @ Leon | 3 |
| 02/11/25 @ Wakulla | 1 |
Jaylen Roque made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Godby is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 0-6 otherwise. Roque was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing Two bases. while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. What's more, he posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Israel Williams was a standout: he scored three runs and stole Four bases. while going 2-for-4. He is becoming a predictor of Godby's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 2-1 (and 0-6 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Edwin Ramirez, who scored three runs and stole Three bases. while going 2-for-2.
Godby kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, St. John Paul II got themselves on the board against Taylor County on Thursday, but Taylor County never followed suit. They came out on top against the Bulldogs by a score of 3-0. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Panthers.
St. John Paul II saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Levarius McClure II, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
St. John Paul II pushed their record up to 10-3 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. As for Godby, they picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 2-7.
Godby suffered a grim 16-6 defeat to St. John Paul II in their previous meeting back in April of 2022. Can Godby avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
