Elizabeth Forward has gone a perfect 7-0 against Southmoreland recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Warriors are taking a road trip to take on the Scotties at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Elizabeth Forward sitting on four straight victories and Southmoreland on eight.
On Friday, everything came up roses for Elizabeth Forward against Yough as the squad secured a 55-7 win. Considering the Warriors have won six contests by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Ryan Messina
| 10/10/25 @ Yough | 4 |
| 10/03/25 vs Derry | 3 |
| 09/26/25 @ Greensburg Salem | 2 |
| 09/19/25 vs Baldwin | 2 |
| 09/12/25 @ South Fayette | 2 |
| + 7 more games |
A big part of Elizabeth Forward's victory came down to the chemistry between Ryan Messina and his top target Kaden SPOCHACZ-Allen. Messina threw for 145 yards and four touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes while SPOCHACZ-Allen rushed for 65 yards and a pair of TDs on only eight carries. That's the most passing touchdowns Messina has posted since back in October of 2024. Another big playmaker for Elizabeth Forward was Aaron Ulmer, who returned a punt for a touchdown.
Elizabeth Forward was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 285 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Elizabeth Forward, racking up 13 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Ulmer, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Southmoreland never let their opponents score on Friday. They took down Mt. Pleasant 14-0. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Scotties' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 160th, while the Vikings are ranked 332nd).
One reason for the win was Southmoreland's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Jackson Mickens refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself.
Elizabeth Forward's record now sits at 7-1. As for Southmoreland, their record is now 8-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Elizabeth Forward has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 191.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Southmoreland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 159.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Elizabeth Forward against Southmoreland in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 31-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
