Union Pines is 8-2 against Western Harnett since September of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Vikings will host the Eagles at 7:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Union Pines has seven straight victories, Western Harnett has six straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Union Pines barely beat Lee County the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Vikings claimed a resounding 42-3 win over the Yellow Jackets. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won six matchups by 22 points or more so far this season.
Ian Hicks
| 10/24/25 @ Lee County | 75 |
| 08/29/25 vs Pinecrest | 33 |
| 09/05/25 vs Eastern Randolph | 27 |
| 10/10/25 @ Southern Lee | 25 |
| 09/19/25 @ West Johnston | 17 |
Ian Hicks was a one-man wrecking crew as he threw for 164 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 75 yards on only five carries. Those 75 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Adrian Colon was another key player, rushing for 66 yards and a pair of scores.
Meanwhile, Western Harnett played a tough contest on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against West Johnston, falling 35-7. The Eagles were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-0.
Despite the loss, Western Harnett saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Creig Matthews picked up 83 receiving yards and one TD. Matthews was no stranger to the big play, lighting up the secondary with a catch that went for 58 yards.
Union Pines' victory bumped their record up to 8-1. As for Western Harnett, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-7.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Colon and Matthews. Colon just won't slow down this season and has run in 8 touchdowns while averaging 100.5 rushing yards per game. Matthews has been a dominant force too and has averaged 60.2 rushing yards per game.
Everything came up roses for Union Pines against Western Harnett when the teams last played back in September of 2024, as the team secured a 45-0 win. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
