Football Game Preview: Wawasee Warriors vs. Northridge Raiders

Wawasee hasn't had much luck against Northridge recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Warriors will host the Raiders at 7:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.

On Friday, Wawasee came up short against Goshen and fell 24-15. While the Warriors had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the RedHawks 6-0.

Despite the loss, Wawasee saw an underclassman step up: freshman Mason McKibben rushed for 59 yards and one score, and also picked up 30 receiving yards.

Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 2.7 yards per carry. While two picked up at least seven total tackles, Kingston Sanchez stood above the rest. He made seven total tackles (3.0 for loss). Wawasee's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 3.9.

Meanwhile, Northridge ended up a good deal behind Mishawaka on Friday and lost 35-20. The Raiders have struggled against the Cavemen recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.

Northridge's defeat dropped their record down to 0-6. As for Wawasee, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.

Wawasee was dealt a bruising 44-15 defeat at the hands of Northridge when the teams last played back in October of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Warriors were down 37-2.