Football Preview: West Laurens Raiders vs. Academy of Richmond County Musketeers
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Two dominant backs in Ty Cummings and Mykheal Smith are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The West Laurens Raiders will face off against the Academy of Richmond County Musketeers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. West Laurens is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
West Laurens is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took down Baldwin 70-55 last Friday. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Raiders' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 85th, while the Braves are ranked 256th).
West Laurens' defensive line made their presence known, laying out Kamden Patterson five times. That dominant display was truly a team effort as five different players picked up one apiece. Maxx Chafin was another major factor on D, picking up a sack, forcing one fumble, and making 12 total tackles.
Meanwhile, Academy of Richmond County hadn't done well against Baldwin recently (they were 0-5 in their previous five matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Musketeers walked away with a 47-37 victory over the Braves.
West Laurens better keep an eye on Ben Wright. He was instrumental in Academy of Richmond County's win, picking up 97 receiving yards and one score. Wright was no stranger to the big play, cutting upfield on a catch that went for 62 yards.
Academy of Richmond County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 318 rushing yards. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 92.2 rushing yards per game earlier this season, but in their last five matchups they've averaged 241.3.
West Laurens' record is now 6-0. As for Academy of Richmond County, their record now sits at 3-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. West Laurens has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 361 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Academy of Richmond County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 156.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for West Laurens against Academy of Richmond County in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 41-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Raiders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
