Football Preview: West Elk Patriots vs. Central Raiders
West Elk is 7-2 against Central since October of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The West Elk Patriots and the Central Raiders are set to duel. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (West Elk has seven straight victories, Central has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Friday, West Elk was fully in charge, breezing past Northeast 66-8 on the road. Considering the Patriots have won five matchups by more than 45 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
West Elk had a senior duo take command as Creyo Koop gained 118 total yards and three touchdowns and Trent Haag rushed for 54 yards and two touchdowns. Koop is also on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last seven games he's played dating back to last season.
West Elk didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Garett Usry and Haag.
Meanwhile, a win for Central just wasn't in the cards on Friday as the squad wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They were outmatched by Sedan at home and fell 62-20.
Despite their loss, Central saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Hunter Henderson, who threw for 152 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 35 yards, was perhaps the best of all. Another player making a difference was Dante Henley, who picked up 91 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
West Elk pushed their record up to 7-0 with the victory, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-6.
West Elk might still be hurting after the 48-28 loss they got from Central when the teams last played back in September of 2023. Will West Elk have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
