Football Game Preview: Northern Guilford Nighthawks vs. Watauga Pioneers + Official Tickets

The Northern Guilford Nighthawks will square off against the Watauga Pioneers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Northern Guilford sitting on 11 straight victories and Watauga on 13.

Northern Guilford is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They put the hurt on Ashbrook with a sharp 39-14 win. The Nighthawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by 20 points or more this season.

Amare Akers

Rushing Touchdowns

11/28/25 vs Ashbrook	2
11/14/25 vs Asheville	2
10/31/25 @ Southeast Guilford	2

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Northern Guilford to victory, but perhaps none more so than Amare Akers, who rushed for 108 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 13 carries. Akers has been hot recently, having also posted two or more rushing touchdowns the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Jaxson Kemp, who rushed for 35 yards and one TD.

Another reason for the win was Northern Guilford's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Noah Smith, Player #84, and Arimeeh Mack, who each picked up one sack apiece.

Meanwhile, Watauga faced Sun Valley in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Pioneers came out on top in a nail-biter against the Spartans, sneaking past 31-28. The score was all tied up 21-21 at the break, but the Pioneers were the better team in the second half.

Watauga had a senior duo take command as Cade Keller threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns while completing 73.7% of his passes and Nyle Peays picked up 97 receiving yards and one score.

Northern Guilford's victory bumped their record up to 12-1. As for Watauga, their win bumped their record up to 13-0.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Northern Guilford has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 171.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Watauga struggles in that department as they've been averaging 187.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.