Early hasn't had much luck against Comanche recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Longhorns will welcome the Indians at 7:00 p.m. Early has given up an average of 34.5 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Last Friday, Early had to suffer through a 52-14 loss at the hands of Peaster. While losing is never fun, the Longhorns can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 830th, while the Greyhounds are ranked 258th).
Despite the loss, Early saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Caden Wilson rushed for 51 yards and one touchdown, and also threw for 121 yards and one TD.
Meanwhile, Comanche posted their closest win since October 11, 2024 on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Tolar 36-33. The score was all tied up 14-14 at the break, but the Indians were the better team in the second half.
Comanche's win came from a few key players Early will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ladanian Smith, who rushed for 141 yards and three scores. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 103.2 rushing yards per game. Cooper Welch was another key player, rushing for 74 yards and one touchdown on only eight carries.
Comanche was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 318 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.
Comanche didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Ct Buford. Zaden Tello was another major factor on D, making 13 total tackles (4.0 for loss).
The win got Comanche back to even at 2-2. As for Early, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-3.
Early was dealt a bruising 56-20 loss at the hands of Comanche in their previous meeting back in September of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Buford, who rushed for 96 yards and one TD on only six carries, and also picked up 32 receiving yards and one score. Now that the Longhorns know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
