Football Game Preview: Columbia Wildcats vs. Sallie B. Howard Eagles

The Columbia Wildcats will square off against the Sallie B. Howard Eagles on Friday. Columbia is coming into the game on a six-game losing streak.

Columbia is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Bear Grass Charter two weeks ago (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Wildcats were outmatched by the Bears and fell 60-6. The Wildcats were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 54-0.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Sallie B. Howard, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Washington County 27-24. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Eagles have posted since October 11, 2024.

Sallie B. Howard's win came from a few key players Columbia will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Tyshaun Hassell, who rushed for 76 yards and a pair of TDs on only eight carries. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in passing yards (71). Another player making a difference was Donnell Ricks, who rushed for 73 yards and one touchdown on only eight carries.

Sallie B. Howard didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Washington County to a completion percentage of just 47.1%. The Eagles weren't nearly as limited: they posted one of 66.7%.

Sallie B. Howard didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Malik Jones and Clarence Simmons.

Columbia's defeat dropped their record down to 1-6. As for Sallie B. Howard, their win was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 4-6.