Football Game Preview: Huntington Highlanders vs. University Hawks + Official Tickets

The Huntington Highlanders will challenge the University Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Huntington is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 48-14 victory over Hedgesville. Winning may never get old, but the Highlanders sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.

Tayveon Wilson was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 71 yards and one TD on only six carries, and also threw for 44 yards and a pair of touchdowns on perfect 5-for-5 passing.

University never got on the board in their matchup back in October, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Parkersburg on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 62-14 win over the Big Reds. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Hawks just coasted through the last quarter.

University's win came from a few key players Huntington will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Harrison Helbig, who threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.8 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 48 yards and a pair of scores. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in rushing touchdowns (two). Another pass catcher making a difference was Hayden George, who picked up 167 receiving yards and two TDs.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: University was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 271 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.

University didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Brandon Custer, Glenn Brown, and Kaleil Lewis picked up one apiece. Lewis got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Huntington's record is now 9-2. As for University, their record now sits at 8-3.

Everything came up roses for Huntington against University when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as the team secured a 56-28 victory. Do the Highlanders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.