Football Preview: Willis Wildkats vs. Grand Oaks Grizzlies
Two dominant signal callers in Jack Emerson and Grant Smith are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Willis Wildkats will head out to square off against the Grand Oaks Grizzlies at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Willis knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past eight contests -- so hopefully Grand Oaks likes a good challenge.
If Willis beats Grand Oaks with 63 points on Thursday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. Willis claimed a resounding 63-17 victory over Oak Ridge. The result was nothing new for the Wildkats, who have now won seven matchups by 24 points or more so far this season.
Willis had a senior duo take command as Emerson threw for 270 yards and five touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes and Terri Lawrence gained 108 total yards and three touchdowns. Emerson has been hot , having posted three or more passing touchdowns the last seven times he's played. Willis also got help from Jalen Mickens, who showed off his sure hands for 114 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, Grand Oaks earned a 49-41 win over Oak Ridge last Friday.
A big part of Grand Oaks' victory came down to the chemistry between Smith and his top target Preston Cloud. Smith threw for 423 yards and five touchdowns while completing 73.9% of his passes while Cloud picked up 164 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Keilan Gause helped Smith out on the ground, rushing for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Willis' win was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-0. As for Grand Oaks, their victory bumped their record up to 5-3.
Everything came up roses for Willis against Grand Oaks in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, as the squad secured a 62-13 win. In that match, Willis amassed a halftime lead of 35-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Thursday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
