Shelby has won five straight games at home, while Kinston has won five straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Saturday. The Golden Lions will host the Vikings at 2:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Shelby is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 30-0 win over Lincolnton. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Golden Lions just coasted through the last quarter.
Lan Farmer
| 11/21/25 @ Mount Airy | 172.7 |
| 10/24/25 vs Bessemer City | 169.5 |
| 09/05/25 @ Highland Tech | 167.3 |
| 09/12/25 @ West Lincoln | 157.5 |
| 12/05/25 @ Lincolnton | 154.9 |
| + 10 more games |
Shelby's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Lan Farmer, who threw for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 73.3% of his passes, and also rushed for 83 yards. Farmer's passing game has become a key predictor of the Golden Lions' success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 0-3 otherwise. Another back making a difference was Jonas Woods, who rushed for 144 yards and two scores.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Shelby was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 259 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.
Shelby's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB six times. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Landon Hollifield and Grady Nodine, who each picked up 1.5 sacks apiece. Hollifield was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks, making 11 total tackles (3.0 for loss), and defending one pass.
Meanwhile, Kinston hadn't done well against James Kenan recently (they were 0-4 in their previous four matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Vikings were the clear victors by a 30-7 margin over the Tigers.
Kinston had a senior duo take command as Genesis Wiggins gained 95 total yards and two touchdowns and Tyler Jones threw for 184 yards and three TDs. Jones is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in each of the last three games he's played.
Kinston's win bumped their record up to 11-4. As for Shelby, their victory bumped their record up to 12-3.
Saturday's contest will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Farmer and Jones. Farmer just won't slow down this season and has thrown 48 touchdowns (and and only 7 picks) while averaging 251.3 passing yards per game. Jones has been a dominant force too and has thrown 54 touchdowns while averaging 270.9 passing yards per game.
Everything came up roses for Shelby against Kinston in their previous meeting back in December of 2015, as the squad secured a 57-21 win. Do the Golden Lions have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Vikings turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
