Football Preview: Hickory Red Tornadoes vs. West Iredell Warriors
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Hickory is a perfect 4-0 against West Iredell since October of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Red Tornadoes will square off against the Warriors at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Hickory's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last six contests.
Hickory gave up the first points on Friday, but they didn't give up any more after. They took down Maiden 38-21. The win almost wasn't to be: the Red Tornadoes were down 21-7 in the second quarter.
Jaheem Jenkins
| 10/03/25 vs Maiden | 4 |
| 09/26/25 @ North Lincoln | 2 |
| 09/19/25 vs Foard | 3 |
| 09/12/25 @ Newton-Conover | 3 |
| 09/05/25 vs Bunker Hill | 3 |
| + 5 more games |
It was another big night for Jaheem Jenkins, who rushed for 174 yards and four TDs. He is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in each of the last ten games he's played dating back to last season.
Hickory didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Brett Rowland and Dorrian Medley. Hickory received some extra help from Jashaelyn Saddler, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, it's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 41-14, which was the final score in West Iredell's tilt against East Lincoln on Friday. The Warriors have struggled against the Mustangs recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Hickory will have to contain Amario Spence as he made an impact in West Iredell's last game. He rushed for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 7.7 yards per carry. Spence didn't just play on offense: he also picked up a sack and made two total tackles.
While West Iredell came up short, they sure didn't make it easy for East Lincoln: they limited their QB to completion percentage of just 43.8%. The team can thank Gabriel Harshman for the heroic effort on defense: he. Sadly, that's becoming something of a trend for West Iredell; they were averaging 61.8%completion percentage earlier this season, but in their last three matchups they've fallen to only 61.8%.
Hickory's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.0 points over those games. As for West Iredell, their loss dropped their record down to 4-2.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Jenkins and Spence. Jenkins just won't slow down this season and has run in 21 touchdowns while averaging 126 rushing yards per game. Spence has been a dominant force too and has run in 8 touchdowns while averaging 121.3 rushing yards per game.
Everything came up roses for Hickory against West Iredell in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 76-10 victory. In that contest, the Red Tornadoes amassed a halftime lead of 55-7, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
