The East Gaston Warriors will face off against the Stuart W. Cramer Storm at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: East Gaston has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Stuart W. Cramer will arrive with three straight victories.
On Friday, East Gaston was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 27-21 to West Lincoln.
Despite their loss, East Gaston saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Camden Stillwell, who threw for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 66 yards, was perhaps the best of all. Another rusher making a difference was Mari Chambers, who rushed for 116 yards and one TD on only 14 carries.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Stuart W. Cramer against Cherryville on Friday as the team secured a 42-7 win. The result was nothing new for the Storm, who have now won six games by 21 points or more so far this season.
East Gaston better keep an eye on Clee Phillips. He was instrumental in Stuart W. Cramer's win, rushing for 44 yards and a pair of scores, while also throwing for 165 yards and one touchdown while completing 71.4% of his passes. They also got a significant boost from Dominick McCorkle, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 95 yards.
Stuart W. Cramer's run defense was locked in: Cherryville could only muster 2.5 yards per carry. The team can thank Chris Wurster for the heroic effort on defense: he. Stuart W. Cramer's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 5.4.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Stuart W. Cramer, adding 18 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Cody Alexander, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown. Another bright spot was a punt return touchdown from Jayden Nolley.
East Gaston's defeat dropped their record down to 2-7. As for Stuart W. Cramer, their victory bumped their record up to 7-2.
East Gaston skirted past Stuart W. Cramer 27-25 when the teams last played back in September of 2024. Will the Warriors repeat their success, or do the Storm have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
