Football Preview: Section Lions vs. Appalachian Eagles
The Section Lions will challenge the Appalachian Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Section took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They walked away with a 19-7 win over Cedar Bluff. The Lions' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Meanwhile, Appalachian put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They claimed a resounding 49-0 victory over Ider. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won three games by 25 points or more so far this season.
Section better keep an eye on Braden Gilliland. He was instrumental in Appalachian's win, rushing for 213 yards and four touchdowns on only 13 carries. Gilliland is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 146 every time he's taken the field this season. Colton Caldwell was another key player, rushing for 51 yards and one TD.
Appalachian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 325 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 249 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Appalachian's defense and their four sacks. Ider's QB won't forget Erik Wolf anytime soon given he sacked him three times.
Appalachian's win bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Section, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Section was taken down by Appalachian 41-14 in their previous meeting back in September of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Gilliland, who rushed for 129 yards and four scores on only five carries. Now that the Lions know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
