Football Recap: Garinger Takes a Loss + How To Watch

Garinger extended their losing streak to seven on Friday, dropping them down to 1-7. They were dealt a 66-21 defeat at the hands of the Hopewell Titans. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Wildcats of the 54-0 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in August of 2024.

Despite the defeat, Garinger saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Zykerion Pharr rushed for 162 yards and three scores while picking up 7.4 yards per carry.

As for Hopewell, with the win, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 3-5. Their offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Hopewell was led to victory by Zac Jones and Miles Vanderspuy. Jones rushed for 225 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 15 carries, while Vanderspuy rushed for 154 yards and three TDs on only 14 carries. Jones also punched in two rushing touchdowns, which is notable because the Titans are 2-1 when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 1-4 otherwise.

Coming up, Garinger will face off against South Mecklenburg at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Hopewell, they will take on West Mecklenburg at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Titans will be up against the Hawks' rather soft defense (which has allowed 36.38 points per game), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.