Football Preview: Keenan Raiders vs. Orangeburg-Wilkinson Bruins
Two dominant backs in Hunter O'Neal and Jordan Avinger are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Keenan Raiders will welcome the Orangeburg-Wilkinson Bruins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Keenan is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat North Charleston 58-8. The Raiders' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Keenan found their leader in sophomore O'Neal, who rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries. O'Neal's longest rush was for an impressive 55 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. The team also got some help courtesy of Desmond Washington, who threw for 145 yards and two touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes.
Keenan wouldn't let North Charleston keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Keenan can thank Conrad Hamtpon and Tymere Coleman for forcing both of them.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Orangeburg-Wilkinson, who bounced back after a loss on the road on November 1st. They strolled past Aynor with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 35-16.
It was another big night for Avinger, who rushed for 198 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries, and also picked up 81 receiving yards and a touchdown. Those 198 rushing yards gave him a new career-high.
Keenan pushed their record up to 7-4 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 12.3 points per game. As for Orangeburg-Wilkinson, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Keenan has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 163.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Orangeburg-Wilkinson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 259.8. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Keenan didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Orangeburg-Wilkinson in their previous meeting back in September, but they still walked away with a 26-20 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Orangeburg-Wilkinson's Brenden Peoples, who threw for 170 yards and a touchdown on only ten passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Keenan still be able to contain Peoples? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
