Football Game Preview: Ware Shoals Hornets vs. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler Trojans

The Ware Shoals Hornets will challenge the Hunter-Kinard-Tyler Trojans at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Ware Shoals is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Their defense stepped up to hand Ridge Spring-Monetta a 38-0 shutout. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Hornets' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 95th, while the Trojans are ranked 200th).

Jayden Johnson

Rushing Yards

11/07/25 vs Ridge Spring-Monetta	146
10/31/25 vs Abbeville	147
10/24/25 @ Calhoun Falls Charter	41
10/17/25 vs Dixie	193
10/10/25 @ McCormick	71
+ 6 more games

Ware Shoals' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jayden Johnson, who rushed for 146 yards and one touchdown while picking up 8.6 yards per carry, and also threw for 113 yards and three TDs. With that strong performance, Johnson is now averaging an impressive 100.9 rushing yards per game. Ware Shoals also got a significant boost from Altavis Evans, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 149 yards.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Ware Shoals was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 415 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 181 rushing yards in seven consecutive matchups.

Another reason for the win was Ware Shoals' imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as six different players picked up one apiece. Elijah Brown was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making 11 total tackles (3.0 for loss).

Meanwhile, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler entered their tilt with Lee Central on Friday with five consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with six. They blew past the Stallions, posting a 56-14 win. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 50-6.

Hunter-Kinard-Tyler's victory bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Ware Shoals, their win bumped their record up to 10-1.

Ware Shoals was able to grind out a solid victory over Hunter-Kinard-Tyler in their previous meeting back in November of 2019, winning 20-12. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.