Five things to know as Polk County hosts Patton on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at G.M. Tennant Stadium.
The Wolverines will celebrate Homecoming, with the annual Homecoming Court presentation set for halftime.
Last week: Patton dropped a 38-21 decision to Owen. Polk County fell 32-20 to Landrum.
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Thursday, again: Thursday night football historically has been something of a rarity for Polk County.
Not this season.
The Wolverines will play on Thursday for the second time in four games, having opened the season with a Thursday trip to Chase. Polk entered the year having played just five Thursday games in school history.
That makes this season an unusual one before Polk County even reaches conference play.
The early kickoff also puts Homecoming a day ahead of its typical Friday night setting as the Wolverines look for their first victory of the season.
Back in business: Patton is 0-3, but those three games represent something of a fresh start for the program.
The Panthers did not field a varsity team last season. Patton did have a JV squad, with that group finishing 5-3, and the varsity program returned this fall.
Patton opened with consecutive shutout losses, 33-0 to Freedom and 18-0 to Avery, before finding more offensive success in last week’s 38-21 loss to Owen.
The Panthers will arrive at Tennant Stadium still searching for their first varsity victory since the middle of the 2023 season.
Spread out, run it: Patton may line up in a spread formation, but the Panthers have shown a definite preference for keeping the football on the ground.
Patton’s three primary runners have combined for 72 carries through three games compared to 23 pass attempts.
Junior Alex Ryan has handled the largest share of that workload, rushing 38 times for 161 yards and a touchdown. Mason Black has 42 yards and a score on 12 attempts, while quarterback Trenton Kidd has carried 22 times for 42 yards.
Kidd has completed 9-of-23 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. River McCrary has been by far the Panthers’ leading receiving threat, catching seven passes for 85 yards and a score.
For a Polk County defense that knows where the football is likely headed, the challenge will be stopping it.
Double trouble: Polk County entered the season with a major question about who would replace the rushing production lost with the graduation of Loreynzo Sanchez.
Three games have provided a pretty good answer.
Styler Blackwell has rushed 33 times for 236 yards and three touchdowns, while Zach McCraw has gained 172 yards and scored once on 24 attempts.
That’s 408 yards on 57 carries between the pair, an average of better than seven yards per attempt.
Polk’s passing game has provided some big-play ability as well. Brody Wilkins has thrown for 348 yards and four touchdowns, with Dre Thompson averaging better than 43 yards on his three receptions, totaling 130 yards and a touchdown.
RJ Simpson and Sawyer Huff have also caught touchdown passes.
Somebody’s streak ends: Barring a tie, one team will leave Tennant Stadium on Thursday having ended a lengthy losing streak.
Patton has dropped eight consecutive varsity games dating to 2023. Polk County has lost five straight dating to last season and enters Thursday at 0-3.
History favors the Wolverines.
Polk County is 4-0 all-time against Patton. In the teams’ most recent varsity meeting, the Wolverines rolled to a 35-14 victory after taking a 35-0 lead into halftime. Polk’s defense forced four turnovers in the opening half.
The circumstances are much different this time, especially with Patton rebuilding its varsity program.
But one certainty remains: One of these teams has an opportunity Thursday to leave Homecoming night with a much-needed win.
