Two dominant backs in A'Ron Lee and Braden Gilliland are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Ragland Purple Devils will venture away from home to take on the Appalachian Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Ragland is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 26.3 points per game this season.
Ragland gave up the first points last Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 20-7 win over Valley Head. Winning may never get old, but the Purple Devils sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
It was another big night for Lee, who rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 10.3 yards per carry. He showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 54 yards. Ragland also got help from Ethan Everett, who showed off his sure hands for 81 receiving yards.
Ragland didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Lee and Jagger Cox. Lee's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 191 rushing yards dating back to last season.
Ragland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 230 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 230 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Appalachian unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. They came up short against Spring Garden, falling 46-21. The loss continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now lost five in a row.
Despite the defeat, Appalachian got top-tier performance from Gilliland, who rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown.
The victory got Ragland back to even at 3-3. As for Appalachian, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 5-2.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Ragland has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 204.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Appalachian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 284.7. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Ragland came up short against Appalachian in their previous matchup back in October of 2019, falling 20-14. Can Ragland avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
