Football Game Preview: Alleghany Trojans vs. East Wilkes Cardinals

Alleghany hasn't had much luck against East Wilkes recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Trojans are taking a road trip to take on the Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. Alleghany will be strutting in after a win while East Wilkes will be coming in after a loss.

On Friday, Alleghany earned a 17-10 victory over West Wilkes. The win continues a trend for the Trojans in their matchups with the Blackhawks: they've now won four in a row.

It was another big night for John LeMasters, who rushed for 127 yards and one TD on only 15 carries. His longest rush was for an incredible 88 yards.

Another reason for the win was Alleghany's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by AJ Perong and CJ Caranza, who racked up four sacks between them. LeMasters got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Meanwhile, East Wilkes fell victim to Starmount and their airtight defense on Friday. They took a 7-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Rams. The Cardinals haven't had much luck with the Rams recently, as the team has come up short the last seven times they've met.

Alleghany's victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for East Wilkes, their defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-3.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Alleghany has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 240.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like East Wilkes struggles in that department as they've been averaging 265.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Alleghany came up short against East Wilkes in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 13-7. Can the Trojans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.