Football Game Preview: Bessemer City Yellow Jackets vs. Shelby Golden Lions

Bessemer City hasn't had much luck against Shelby recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Yellow Jackets will face off against the Golden Lions at 7:30 p.m.

Bessemer City blew Highland Tech out of the water the last time the pair played, but last Friday Highland Tech got their revenge. The Yellow Jackets fell just short of the Rams by a score of 15-12. The Yellow Jackets gained 103 more yards on the day, but it was the Rams that made the best use of them.

Gavin Chastain put forth a good effort for the losing side as he threw for 182 yards and one TD, and also rushed for 30 yards and one score.

Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 2.2 yards per carry. Sadly, that's becoming something of a trend for Bessemer City; they were averaging 3.6yards per carry per game earlier this season, but in their last three contests they've fallen to only 0 per game.

Meanwhile, Shelby blew past East Gaston, posting a 42-6 victory. The Golden Lions might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by 21 points or more this season.

Bessemer City better keep an eye on Lan Farmer. He was instrumental in Shelby's win, throwing for 300 yards and six touchdowns on only 19 passes. That's the most passing touchdowns Farmer has posted since back in October of 2024. Shelby's leading receiver Jamarion Jj Williams was Farmer's top target yet again, picking up 130 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

Shelby is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 54.5 points over those games. As for Bessemer City, their loss dropped their record down to 1-7.

Bessemer City was dealt a bruising 49-0 defeat at the hands of Shelby in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Yellow Jackets, Tristan Tate (who rushed for 132 yards and three TDs on only 13 carries) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.