Football Game Preview: Vestal Golden Bears vs. Elmira/Southside Express

The Vestal Golden Bears will head out on the road to challenge the Elmira/Southside Express at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

Vestal made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Maine-Endwell, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Golden Bears fell just short of the Spartans by a score of 30-27 on Friday. The Golden Bears haven't had much luck with the Spartans recently, as the team has come up short the last six times they've met.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Julian Adams, who picked up 94 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 67 yards and one TD on only six carries. Gavin Brady was another key receiver, picking up 77 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

Meanwhile, Elmira/Southside was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 19-14 to Horseheads. While losing is never fun, the Express can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' New York football rankings (they are ranked 176th, while the Blue Raiders are ranked 42nd).

Vestal's record now sits at 3-2. As for Elmira/Southside, their record is now 1-4.

Vestal suffered a grim 43-21 defeat to Elmira/Southside when the teams last played back in September of 2024. Can the Golden Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.