The Newton County Academy Generals will face off against the Calhoun Academy Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Newton County Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Kemper Academy, who was ranked 23rd in their home state at the time (Newton County Academy was ranked fifth). Newton County Academy claimed a resounding 55-0 victory over Kemper Academy at home. The Generals' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Ty Thrash continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 59 yards and three touchdowns, while also throwing for 180 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 passes. He has become a key player for Newton County Academy: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three passing touchdowns, but 1-2 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Cooper Savell, who picked up 45 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Newton County Academy's defense and their 14 sacks. Harrison Wall and Amos Castillo were the leaders of the group effort as each produced four apiece. Josh Fletcher also set a new season high mark in total tackles with six.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Calhoun Academy, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They managed a 30-24 win over Deer Creek on Friday.
Calhoun Academy's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Layton Logan, who rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry. The team also got some help courtesy of Carsen Stegall, who rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Calhoun Academy's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Bronnor Bingham.
The win made it two in a row for Newton County Academy and bumps their season record up to 4-2. As for Calhoun Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 2-3.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Newton County Academy has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 263.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Calhoun Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 237. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Newton County Academy couldn't quite finish off Calhoun Academy when the teams last played back in September of 2023 and fell 48-46. Will Newton County Academy have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
