The Roxana Shells are taking a road trip to take on the Salem Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Last Friday, Roxana was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 34-29 to Columbia. Despite 64 more yards than the Eagles, the Shells couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Roxana might have lost, but man, Mekhi Shorter was a machine: he rushed for 121 yards and two scores on only 15 carries. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 72 yards.
Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 2.8 yards per carry. While one picked up at least eight total tackles, Max Autery stood above the rest. He made eight total tackles and snagged an interception. Roxana didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.3.
Meanwhile, while Salem put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for East Alton-Wood River. The Wildcats blew past the Oilers, posting a 56-0 win. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Wildcats just coasted through the last quarter.
Roxana better keep an eye on Trey Clark. He was instrumental in Salem's win, rushing for 106 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries. That's the most rushing touchdowns Clark has posted since back in September of 2024.
The victory made it two in a row for Salem and bumps their season record up to 2-2. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 39.5 points over those games. As for Roxana, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 3-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Roxana has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 315 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Salem struggles in that department as they've been averaging 217.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything went Roxana's way against Salem in their previous matchup back in September of 2024, as Roxana made off with a 40-14 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Wildcats' Lyric Black, who picked up 145 receiving yards and one TD. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Shells to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
