The Thrall Tigers varsity football team will host the Hempstead Bobcats for its annual homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 3.
Thrall is coming off a 41-18 loss to Johnson City, while Hempstead narrowly fell to Thorndale, 26-23. The Tigers have been led this season by junior quarterback Weston Smiley and senior running back CJ Kelm, who is coming off a strong performance against Johnson City where he scored a touchdown.
Kelm will likely need another big game against a Hempstead defense that has struggled at times this season, allowing more than 30 points per game.
On defense, the Tigers are anchored by junior defensive back Logan Heselmeyer, who leads the unit. Thrall’s defense has had difficulty stopping the run and will face another test against Hempstead’s capable ground attack. The Tigers will also look to tighten up after surrendering 41 points to Johnson City last week.
To avoid a homecoming upset, Thrall must limit explosive plays — a recurring issue this season and gets its running attack going with Smiley and Kelm leading the way.
The Tigers are hoping for a repeat of last year’s dominant performance, when they defeated Hempstead, 63- 0.
