Football Preview: Morehead Panthers vs. West Stokes Wildcats
Morehead is 0-3 against West Stokes since October of 2021 but things could change on Thursday. The Morehead Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the West Stokes Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. Both are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Having struggled with 14 losses in a row dating back to last season, Morehead finally turned things around against McMichael on Friday. They really took it to the Phoenix for the full four quarters, racking up a 27-0 victory on the road. The Panthers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Among those leading the charge was Braxton Carter, who rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Morehead was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 246 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Morehead's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB three times. Leading the way was Quadir Rodgers with two sacks.
Meanwhile, West Stokes entered their tilt with T.W. Andrews on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They breezed by the Red Raiders at home to the tune of 33-0. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 81st, while the Red Raiders are ranked 230th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lindann Fleming continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 132 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries, while also picking up 57 receiving yards and a touchdown. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 101.6 rushing yards per game. Aydden Cherry was another key player, rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries.
Morehead's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for West Stokes, their victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-1.
Morehead was dealt a bruising 52-6 defeat at the hands of West Stokes in their previous matchup back in September of 2023. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point Morehead was down 36-6.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
