With their 57-14 shellacking of the Gurdon Go-Devils on the road, the Glen Rose Beavers finished a very successful regular season with their only loss coming to powerhouse Prescott Curley Wolves, falling by just three points, 20-17. Now the Beavers have their sights set on a return to the 3A State Championship when they host the Fouke Panthers on Friday at Beaver Stadium.
After losing three straight midway through the season, the Panthers have reeled off four straight including last week's 45-7 win over Lakeside. Fouke isn't known for its passing, throwing for just under 500 yards on the season, but the Panthers more than make up for it on the ground.
Junior Charley Baker leads the way with 954 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, while junior Jarrett Easley isn't far behind with 605 yards and five TDs. Defensively, senior Adam Roberts leads with 87 tackles, including 18 for lost yardage and a sack.
The Beavers have a more balanced offensive attack as senior quarterback Aaron Weatherford has thrown for 1,858 yards and 20 TDs, leading Saline County-area schools in passer rating. Sophomore running back J'Shawn Cox leads the way on the ground with 628 yards and four TDs, while senior Jake Thompson has run for 413 yards and five TDs. Receiver Austin Hughes has 23 catches for a county-leading 578 yards and nine TDs.
The Beavers and the Panthers will kick off at 7 p.m. at Beaver Stadium in Glen Rose Friday.