The so-far undefeated Athens High School Bulldogs (3-0) will play against one of their close rivals, the Alexander Spartans (2-1), at the one and only Joe Burrow Stadium this coming Friday night, with kickoff starting at 7:00 p.m.
Previously, the Bulldogs were victorious over the Marietta Tigers 33-21 at Don Drumm Stadium. As for the Spartans, they lost their home-opener against the Miller Falcons, but have gained momentum by winning two games in a row over the East Tartans in week two and the Belpre Golden Eagles in week three.
There are a handful of ways in which both Athens and Alexander overlap in this particular season. For one, both teams are scoring machines.
Tallying up after four quarters of play, the Bulldogs average 40.7 points per game, whereas the Spartans average exactly 37.0 points per game. It’s clear that the offenses for both parties have been difficult to contain by opposing defenses.
Obviously, that’s thanks in part to who’s playing on the field. For Athens, there have been many players who have stood out among their peers and have contributed high success for the team. On offense, flowers should be given to senior running back Anthony Sutton and junior wide receiver Weston Wheatley.
Sutton has already totaled up an average of 215.7 rushing yards per game and eight rushing touchdowns for the first three games of the season. To complement Sutton, his teammate Wheatley has an average of 73.3 receiving yards per game.
In contrast, Alexander’s junior wide receiver Colt Newton leads his squad in receiving yards per game at 46.0, senior running back Nolan Jenkins with 61.0 for rushing yards per game and senior wide receiver Alex Bateman with a team-high six touchdowns.
But offense is the only thing that either of these teams is good at. Crucial players for the Bulldogs like inside sophomore linebacker Tremayne Scott, who averages 9.0 tackles per game, senior defensive lineman Jay Irwin, who leads in sacks at 4.5 and Wheatley with five interceptions. Those key players make this defensive line a living nightmare for any quarterback.
The Spartans have defensive weapons up their own sleeves, as well. Leading in tackles per game is middle linebacker Rylan Hucks at 6.3, in total sacks is Hucks again with one and in interceptions is Bateman with one.
When it’s finally that time, fans of both Athens and Alexander will be in for a treat on Friday night. Both teams clearly have the talent and identity to win at any cost, no matter who they are competing against.
