Football Preview: Wayne Pioneers vs. Nitro Wildcats
The Wayne Pioneers will venture away from home to face off against the Nitro Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Wayne is coming into the contest hot, having won their last three games.
If Wayne beats Nitro with 26 points on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. Wayne walked away with a 26-14 victory over Winfield on Friday.
Jayden Wayman was a one-man wrecking crew for Wayne as he rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries. Wayman is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 106 every time he's taken the field this season. Ronnie Staley was another key player, rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown on only ten carries.
Meanwhile, Nitro hadn't done well against Chapmanville Regional recently (they were 0-8 in their previous eight matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Nitro came out on top against Chapmanville Regional by a score of 34-21. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Wildcats considering their seven-point performance the matchup before.
Josh Moody was his usual excellent self, throwing for 299 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 31 yards. Malachi Thompson also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Nitro's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Zaevyon Dickerson, Malik Brown, and Brown picked up one apiece. Dickerson also set a new season high mark in total tackles with eight. Wyatt Sowards was another major factor on D, making 16 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Wayne's record is now 3-0. As for Nitro, their record now sits at 3-1.
Wayne came up short against Nitro in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, falling 33-21. Can Wayne avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
