The Pisgah Bears are taking a road trip to take on the West Henderson Falcons at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Pisgah has given up an average of 27.5 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Pisgah is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Franklin just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They took a 37-26 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Panthers. Bears fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team has lost against the Panthers since Friday.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask West Henderson). They blew past East Henderson 47-0 on Friday. Given the Falcons' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 89th, while the Eagles are ranked 397th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Pisgah better keep an eye on Zane McCraw. He was instrumental in West Henderson's win, rushing for 176 yards and three TDs on only ten carries. McCraw's longest rush was for an impressive 60 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
West Henderson was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 230 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 220 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for West Henderson, racking up 15 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of McCraw, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Pisgah's defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 4-2. As for West Henderson, their record is now 4-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Pisgah has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 192.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like West Henderson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 197.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Pisgah couldn't quite finish off West Henderson in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 and fell 27-24. Can the Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
