The Burns Bulldogs will square off against the Shelby Golden Lions at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Burns' favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last eight contests.
Burns' defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They really took it to Highland Tech for the full four quarters, racking up a 48-0 win. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Rams recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Drew Dixon
| 10/24/25 @ Highland Tech | 3 |
| 10/17/25 vs Cherryville | 2 |
| 09/26/25 vs West Lincoln | 2 |
| 09/05/25 vs East Gaston | 2 |
| 09/12/25 vs Lincolnton | 1 |
Burns' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Drew Dixon, who threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 passes. Those three passing touchdowns gave Dixon a new career-high. Jorian Ussery also helped with three TDs in total.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 12 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Ussery, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Burns' defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Armani Littlejohn, Justyn Porter, and Xavier Epps, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Meanwhile, Shelby was fully in charge on Friday, breezing past Bessemer City 67-0. The Golden Lions might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Burns better keep an eye on Lan Farmer. He was instrumental in Shelby's win, throwing for 253 yards and five touchdowns while completing 90.9% of his passes. Farmer is becoming a predictor of the Golden Lions' success: when he posts at least three passing touchdowns the team is undefeated (and 0-3 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Immanuel Collins, who picked up 67 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Burns' record is now 6-3. As for Shelby, their record now sits at an identical 6-3.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Burns has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 239.6 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Shelby, though, as they've been averaging only 60.7 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Burns couldn't quite get it done against Shelby in their previous matchup back in November of 2024 as they fell 27-14. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
