With a playoff game on the line, Kemper County rose to the challenge on Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 41-22 win over the Perry Central Bulldogs. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi football rankings (they are ranked 49th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 138th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
A big part of Kemper County's victory came down to the chemistry between Kendetryon Backstrom and his top target Al'Javion Gordon. Backstrom rushed for 93 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 carries while Gordon gained 201 total yards and three touchdowns. That's the most rushing yards Backstrom has posted since back in September.
Kemper County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 224 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Several Bulldogs players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Brayden Weathers, who picked up 123 receiving yards and a touchdown. Weathers' receiving production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 109 receiving yards. Another back making a difference was Cephus Pruitt, who rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown on only six carries.
Kemper County pushed their record up to 10-1 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 44.6 points per game. As for Perry Central, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-7 record this season.
Kemper County will square off against Magee at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Magee will roll in looking for their 11th straight victory, something Kemper County surely won't give up without a fight. Perry Central does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
