Center and Rusk are an even 3-3 against one another since August of 2016, but not for long. The Center Roughriders will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Rusk Eagles at 7:30 p.m. Center is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 32.6 points per game this season.
Things were looking good for Center after they put the first points on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They took a hard 43-26 fall against Athens. While the Roughriders didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Hornets 10-0 in the first quarter.
Despite their loss, Center saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Timothy Johnson, who picked up 153 receiving yards and two touchdowns, was perhaps the best of all. Johnson showed off some serious burst, cutting upfield on a catch for 56 yards. Center also got a significant boost from Jaysis Villegas, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 116 yards.
Even though they lost, Center was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 256 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 169 rushing yards in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, a win for Rusk just wasn't in the cards on Friday as the squad wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They were outmatched by Carthage at home and fell 49-7. The defeat continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now lost five in a row.
Center's record now sits at 7-2. As for Rusk, their record now sits at 2-7.
Everything came up roses for Center against Rusk in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 76-48 victory. Does Center have another victory up their sleeve, or will Rusk turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
