The Emerald Vikings are taking a road trip to square off against the Laurens Raiders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Emerald is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 30 points per game this season.
On Friday, Emerald was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 35-31 to Fountain Inn.
Rykevius Logan
| 10/24/25 vs Fountain Inn | 89 |
| 10/17/25 vs Southside | 62 |
| 09/12/25 @ Broome | 44 |
| 09/19/25 vs Strom Thurmond | 34 |
| 08/29/25 @ Travelers Rest | 24 |
Despite their loss, Emerald saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Christopher Dean, who rushed for 160 yards while picking up 8.9 yards per carry, and also picked up 91 receiving yards and one touchdown, was perhaps the best of all. The Vikings also got help from Rykevius Logan, who showed off his sure hands for 89 receiving yards.
Even if they lost, Emerald's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. Jeremiah Johnson refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. Christian Foster was another major factor on D, making 24 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Laurens took a blow against Westside on Friday, falling 41-9. While losing is never fun, the Raiders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 140th, while the Rams are ranked 48th).
Emerald will have to keep a close watch on Damajia Crooks and Logan Bragg, a pair of players who had a big impact on Laurens' prior game. Crooks picked up 123 receiving yards and one score, while Bragg threw for 172 yards on 15 of 30 attempts.
Emerald has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-5 record this season. As for Laurens, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Emerald has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 174.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Laurens, though, as they've been averaging only 73.2 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Emerald was able to grind out a solid win over Laurens in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, winning 26-17. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
