Salem hasn't had much luck against Columbia recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Wildcats will host the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Salem has given up an average of 30 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
It was a proper cat-fight when Salem challenged Breese Central on Friday. The Wildcats were dealt a 48-13 defeat at the hands of the Cougars. The Wildcats were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 48-7.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Trey Clark and Cole Davis. Davis had a solid game and rushed for 71 yards and one touchdown on only seven carries. Meanwhile, Clark did his best for the losing side, rushing for 104 yards and one TD on only 14 carries.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Columbia). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat East Alton-Wood River 62-0. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked 130th, while the Oilers are ranked 462nd) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Salem better keep an eye on Jase Nelson. He was instrumental in Columbia's win, rushing for 129 yards and a pair of scores. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 65 yards.
Columbia's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 37.0 points this season. As for Salem, their loss dropped their record down to 2-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Salem has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 215 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Columbia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 183.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Salem took a serious blow against Columbia in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 38-8. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Nelson, who rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry. Now that the Wildcats know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
