Football Game Preview: West Branch Warriors vs. Curwensville Golden Tide

The West Branch Warriors will head out to take on the Curwensville Golden Tide at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. West Branch has given up an average of 47.2 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

West Branch is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Juniata Valley on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Warriors took a blow against the Hornets, falling 55-14. The Warriors were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 34-6.

West Branch's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Coby Kephart, who gained 173 total yards and a touchdown, and Francis Leskovansky, who threw for 150 yards and one touchdown. Kephart really caught the secondary sleeping when he pulled down a catch that went for 89 yards.

Meanwhile, Curwensville came up short against Claysburg-Kimmel on Friday, falling 46-20. The loss continues a trend for the Golden Tide in their meetings with the Bulldogs: they've now lost three in a row.

West Branch will have to keep a close watch on Sam Gustafson and Lincoln Hoyt, a pair of players who had a big impact on Curwensville's prior game. Gustafson rushed for 86 yards and one TD, while Hoyt rushed for 57 yards and one score. Reed Hawkins got in on the action too, returning a kick for a touchdown.

Curwensville's defeat dropped their record down to 1-4. As for West Branch, their loss dropped their record down to 0-5.

West Branch couldn't quite get it done against Curwensville in their previous meeting back in September of 2024 as they fell 28-16. Thankfully for the Warriors, Tyler Dunn (who rushed for 249 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 13.1 yards per carry, and also threw for 101 yards while completing 72.7% of his passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.