The Opelika Bulldogs are taking a road trip to face off against the Central Red Devils at 8:00 p.m. on Friday.
Opelika is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alabama's top teams: Enterprise, who was ranked 15th at the time (Opelika was ranked 12th). The Bulldogs came up short against the Wildcats on Friday, falling 42-20. The Bulldogs' defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, Central got the win against Carver Montgomery on Friday by a conclusive 58-35. Considering the Red Devils have won six games by more than 22 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Opelika better keep an eye on Jayshaun Woodhouse. He was instrumental in Central's win, rushing for 238 yards and three TDs on only 12 carries, while also picking up 30 receiving yards. With that strong performance, Woodhouse is now averaging an impressive 109.6 rushing yards per game. Branden Brown was in the mix as well, providing Central with two touchdowns.
Central didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Brennan Core and Jermaine King. Core is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in each of the last five games he's played. Central got some further help from Tristan Lyles: he picked up a sack, forced two fumbles, and made seven total tackles.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Central, racking up 16 points in total. All came from Jack Ciancio: he went 3-for-3 kicking field goals for nine points, and 7-for-7 kicking extra points for an additional seven.
Central's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-1. The road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.3 points over those games. As for Opelika, their loss dropped their record down to 6-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Opelika has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 173.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 168.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Opelika beat Central 23-14 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
