Football Preview: Westlake Lions vs. Chapel Hill Panthers
After two games on the road, Westlake is heading back home. A feisty cat fight will be fought when Lions faces off against the Chapel Hill Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Last Friday, Westlake came up short against Douglas County and fell 35-22. While losing is never fun, the Lions can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 57th, while the Tigers are ranked seventh).
Despite their defeat, Westlake saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Sean Smith, who threw for 123 yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 68 yards on only six carries, was perhaps the best of all. That's the most rushing yards Smith has posted since back in October of 2023. Naeem Odeniyi was in the mix too, providing Westlake with two touchdowns.
Westlake didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Smith and Jordan Newton. Newton also made five total tackles, which is notable because Westlake is 2-1 when he posts at least four total tackles, but 1-4 otherwise. Westlake got some further help from Sebastian Wimbush: he made 15 total tackles.
Meanwhile, Chapel Hill was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their sixth straight loss. They were dealt a 42-0 defeat at the hands of Carrollton.
Westlake's loss was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 3-5. As for Chapel Hill, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-7.
Everything came up roses for Westlake against Chapel Hill in their previous matchup back in August of 2014, as the team secured a 54-0 victory. Does Westlake have another victory up their sleeve, or will Chapel Hill turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
