Football Game Preview: Richlands Wildcats vs. Croatan Cougars

The Richlands Wildcats will challenge the Croatan Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing isn't great for Richlands: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while Croatan has snatched up three consecutive wins on the road.

Richlands is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Northside - Jacksonville last Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Wildcats were dealt a 43-3 loss at the hands of the Monarchs. The game marked the Wildcats' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Matthew Storjohann

Total Tackles

08/22/25 @ Southwest Onslow	3
08/29/25 @ White Oak	3
09/05/25 vs East Duplin	3
09/12/25 vs South Brunswick	4
09/19/25 vs Havelock	6

Even if they lost, Richlands' defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. Leading the way was Matthew Storjohann with two. He also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with seven.

Meanwhile, Croatan didn't have quite enough to beat Northside - Jacksonville on Friday and fell 30-28. The loss was the Cougars' first of the season.

Richlands will have to contain Andrew Boucher as he made an impact in Croatan's last game. He rushed for 90 yards and three TDs, and also picked up 91 receiving yards.

Richlands' defeat dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Croatan, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.

Everything came up roses for Richlands against Croatan when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 42-14 win. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.