With two District 24-3A games left, the Rudder Rangers want to finish with a little momentum. After all, they could be playing in a higher classification next season.

This week, however, they will go up against possibly the best pure passer in the Brazos Valley as Rudder (2-5, 0-4 District 24-3A) travels to Cameron (4-3, 1-2) for a 7:30 p.m. game Friday.

Cameron's offense has continued to put up excellent numbers behind quarterback Steven Townsend this season. The senior has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,349 yards with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Four different Cameron receivers have at least 20 catches. In fact, Tommy Anderson leads the Yoemen in catches with 32 but Brandon Freeman leads the team in receiving yards with 428. The Yoe offense is so prolific that backup quarterback/receiver/punter Jack Rhoades has 11 catches for 180 yards and has completed 16 of 28 passes for 207 yards.

Cameron's offensive scheme doesn't conjure up images of the Greatest Show on Turf, mainly because the team relies more on yards after the catch than running deep routes, according to Pier.

"They're a lot like Rockdale, if I had to call someone out," Pier said. "They've got a lot of screen plays and some short passes, but the thing about the short passes is they get a lot of yards after the catch. They're very skillful in what they do. They're going to be a real challenge."

Townsend leads the Yoemen, but passing isn't all they do well.

Running back James Wells leads the team in scoring with 72 points. Wells has 511 rushing yards this season with 10 rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns. The senior also leads the Yoemen with 890 all-purpose yards. Townsend is just behind Wells with 298 rushing yards, making him a threat every time he rolls out of the pocket.

"[Townsend] is as athletic as you'll see," Pier said. "He's a big, tall rangy kid with a great arm. He's most dangerous when he starts moving. You almost don't want to rush him, 'cause you want him to sit there."

Rudder is finally healthy. Running back Tre Hammond was cleared to return to practice this week and expects to start Friday. Quarterback Kyle Danford played last week despite a severe bone bruise on the top of his foot that initially made coaches think it was broken.

On the defensive side, Cameron has been giving up 25.2 points per game, but a ball-hawking defense provides the Yoemen with plenty of opportunities to stay in games. Cameron has nine interceptions as a team by eight different defenders. Trevion Sims leads the way with two interceptions.

With Danford under center, Rudder has the experience to exploit matchups in the passing game. The key will be executing its game plan better, according to Pier.

"We've gotta stop turning the ball over," Pier said. "These kids are resilient, they keep bouncing back. We've got to keep improving. Where we're at right now, we have to start executing our assignment. It's not about playing hard any more, we have to get it done."

RUDDER FOOTBALL

* Friday's game: Rudder (2-5, 0-4 District 24-3A) at Cameron (4-3, 1-2), 7:30 p.m.

* Radio: KNDE's (95.1) HD-3 station and online at www.rudderrangers.com