Genoa seeks first win against Fouke

FOUKE, Ark.—The annual contest between Genoa Central and Fouke is about more than just bragging rights between two close communities.

The Dragons (1-7, 0-5) will travel down the road to take on the Panthers (2-6, 1-4) at Panther Stadium with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. in the Battle of the Bridge.

“We’ve had a good week of practice and the guys have really been focused,” Genoa Central’s head coach Buddy Ray said. “This game is going to come down to who plays well and makes the least mistakes. You can’t turn the ball over in a game like this.”

The Dragons have given up an average of 31.5 points each game and score 5.4, while the Panthers have allowed an average of 30.7 and score 9.3.

“We have a young football team

but everyone is excited for the opportunity on Friday night,” Fouke head coach Trent Wilson said. “It’s a highly anticipated game every year here. We’re obviously still in playoff contention. If we can win the next two weeks, it’ll get us in the playoffs. We’re playing for a lot more than the Battle of the Bridge.”

Fouke owns the series all-time with Genoa Central, 8-0.

“It would be icing on the cake to get a win against our rival,” Wilson said. “I’m not from the area but to the community it’s a big game. To me, it’s just another Friday night football game. For these kids, we’ve discussed all week about maintaining their focus and keeping their emotions in-check. The kids know what’s at stake.”

The Dragons are also playing for much more like their neighbors. Genoa Central is seeking its first Conference 5-3A win against the Panthers.

“Most games are won by executing the fundamentals of the game,” Ray said. “The biggest thing I stressed to the kids this week was taking care of our business and do what we do well. We’ve preached execution all week. Blocking and tackling still wins football games. We’re looking for the opportunity to compete and hopefully we’ll be ready to play.”