Fort Payne is 0-3 against Athens since August of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Wildcats will face off against the Golden Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Fort Payne will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.
It was a proper cat-fight when Fort Payne faced off against Pelham on Thursday. The Wildcats came out on top against the Panthers by a score of 28-21.
Kaiden Adams
| 10/30/25 vs Pelham | 156 |
| 09/26/25 @ Mortimer Jordan | 126 |
| 10/03/25 vs Buckhorn | 113 |
| 10/24/25 @ Lee | 94 |
| 10/17/25 vs Hazel Green | 73 |
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Fort Payne to victory, but perhaps none more so than Blake Griggs, who rushed for 89 yards and one touchdown on only 11 carries, and also threw for 113 yards and one TD while completing 91.7% of his passes. The Wildcats also got a significant boost from Kaiden Adams, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 156 yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Fort Payne was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 260 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 219 rushing yards in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Athens didn't have too much trouble with Russellville on Friday as they won 28-12. The Golden Eagles haven't had any issues with the Golden Tigers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Athens' win came from a few key players Fort Payne will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Terron Williams, who rushed for 42 yards and one score, and also picked up 41 receiving yards. Another player making a difference was Aidan Lovell, who rushed for 19 yards and a pair of TDs.
Athens didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Clarence Jones and Ethan Lawniczak, who each picked up one interception apiece.
Fort Payne's record is now 9-1. As for Athens, their record now sits at 6-4.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Fort Payne has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 212.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Athens struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 254.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Fort Payne and Athens were almost perfectly matched up in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, but Fort Payne suffered an agonizing 29-28 defeat. Thankfully for the Wildcats, Brogan Gross (who threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 38 yards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
