Football Preview: Van Vandals vs. Pittsburg Pirates
Van is 4-0 against Pittsburg since September of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Van Vandals will host the Pittsburg Pirates at 7:30 p.m. The timing is sure in Van's favor as the squad sits on four straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Pittsburg has been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.
Van is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Gilmer just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They fell 31-23 to the Buckeyes. The matchup marked the Vandals' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Pittsburg). They strolled past North Lamar with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 37-22. The victory was some much needed relief for the Pirates as it spelled an end to their 11-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Pittsburg can attribute much of their success to Twan Thompson, who rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries, and Kord Johnson, who rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown. Camdyn Doddy was another key player, picking up 87 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Pittsburg was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 329 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as North Lamar only rushed for 216.
Van's defeat dropped their record down to 5-2. As for Pittsburg, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-6.
Everything came up roses for Van against Pittsburg when the teams last played back in September of 2021, as the team secured a 49-12 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Pittsburg's Brayden Bolton, who rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Van to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
