For the first time this season, West Davidson will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. After each having a week off, they and the Providence Grove Patriots will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
West Davidson is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Mount Pleasant just ended the team's three-game winning streak last Friday. They lost to the Tigers on the road by a 38-20 margin.
West Davidson's loss came about despite a quality game from Carson Correll, who rushed for 65 yards and one TD on only eight carries, and also threw for 96 yards and one touchdown.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Providence Grove). They simply couldn't be stopped last Friday as they easily beat Jordan-Matthews 47-8. The Patriots haven't had any issues with the Jets recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
West Davidson better focus on containing Jackson Lawver and Nick Straughn as the pair were huge in Providence Grove's win. Lawver rushed for 85 yards and a pair of scores, while Straughn rushed for 106 yards and one TD. That's the most rushing yards Lawver has posted since back in October of 2024.
Providence Grove's run defense was locked in: Jordan-Matthews could only muster 1.9 yards per carry. The team can thank Conner Haithcock for the heroic effort on defense: he. Providence Grove didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 5.6.
Providence Grove's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for five sacks. In that department, Haithcock was the leader with three. Providence Grove received some extra help from Straughn, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Providence Grove now has a winning record of 3-2. As for West Davidson, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 3-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. West Davidson has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 190.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Providence Grove struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 160.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
West Davidson couldn't quite get it done against Providence Grove in their previous meeting back in August of 2016 as they fell 36-28. Thankfully for the Dragons, Furious Sutton (who rushed for 120 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 7.1 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
