Football Game Preview: Strom Thurmond Rebels vs. Ninety Six Wildcats

The Strom Thurmond Rebels will head out to take on the Ninety Six Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Strom Thurmond will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.

On Friday, Strom Thurmond didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Saluda, but they still walked away with a 20-14 win.

Zy Rouse

Total Touchdowns

10/24/25 vs Saluda	2
10/17/25 vs Pelion	2
08/22/25 vs McCormick	2
10/10/25 vs American Leadership Academy	1
09/19/25 @ Emerald	1

Strom Thurmond's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Deonte Phillips led the charge by rushing for 92 yards and one score. Phillips didn't just play on offense: he also made three total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended one pass. Zy Rouse also helped with two touchdowns in total.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Strom Thurmond was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 269 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 269 rushing yards in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Ninety Six got themselves on the board against American Leadership Academy on Friday, but American Leadership Academy never followed suit. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Patriots 42-0. That 42 point margin sets a new team best for the Wildcats this season.

Strom Thurmond's record is now 7-2. As for Ninety Six, the victory was their first at home , bumping their record up to 3-6.

Strom Thurmond strolled past Ninety Six in their previous matchup back in November of 2024 by a score of 21-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rebels since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.