Football Game Preview: Avery County Vikings vs. Polk County Wolverines + How To Watch

Avery County is 0-6 against Polk County since October of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Vikings will head out on the road to square off against the Wolverines at 7:30 p.m. Avery County has given up an average of 45.8 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Avery County is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Hendersonville on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Vikings were outmatched by the Bearcats and fell 78-26. While losing is never fun, the Vikings can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 386th, while the Bearcats are ranked 111th).

Avery County might have lost, but man, Oak Markland was a machine: he picked up 178 receiving yards and three TDs.

Meanwhile, Polk County was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap last Friday as they fell 27-22 to Madison.

Despite the defeat, Polk County saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Brody Wilkins threw for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 18 passes. Wilkins' passing game has become a key predictor of the Wolverines' success: the team is 2-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 0-5 otherwise. A healthy portion of Wilkins' aerial production (82 yards to be exact) went to Styler Blackwell.

Polk County's loss dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Avery County, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-7.

Avery County suffered a grim 42-20 defeat to Polk County in their previous meeting back in March of 2021. Thankfully for the Vikings, Angus Weaver (who rushed for 225 yards and two scores while picking up 8.0 yards per carry, and also threw for 56 yards and one TD) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.