vs
| 10/11/24 - Home | 38-8 W |
| 10/06/23 - Away | 26-27 L |
| 10/07/22 - Home | 44-7 W |
| 10/08/21 - Away | 46-7 W |
| 04/02/21 - Away | 37-18 W |
| + 3 more games |
Columbia is 7-1 against Salem since September of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Eagles will square off against the Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. Salem took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Columbia, who comes in off a win.
Columbia took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They breezed past East Alton-Wood River to the tune of 62-0. The contest marked the Eagles' most dominant win of the season.
Jase Nelson produced another solid effort rushing for 129 yards and two scores. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 65 yards.
Meanwhile, Salem played a tough game on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against Breese Central, falling 48-13. The Wildcats have struggled against the Cougars recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.
Columbia will have to keep a close watch on Trey Clark and Madden Thompson, a pair of players who had a big impact on Salem's prior game. Clark rushed for 104 yards and one TD on only 14 carries, while Thompson picked up 75 receiving yards and one touchdown. Clark is becoming a predictor of Salem's success: when he posts at least 100 rushing yards the team is 2-1 (and 0-3 when he doesn't).
Columbia pushed their record up to 5-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 9.5 points on average this season. As for Salem, their loss dropped their record down to 2-4.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Nelson and Clark. Nelson just won't slow down this season and has run in 6 touchdowns while averaging 117.2 rushing yards per game. Clark has been a dominant force too and has run in 5 touchdowns while averaging 113.8 rushing yards per game.
Everything came up roses for Columbia against Salem when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 38-8 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Wildcats' Miking Ettress, who picked up 165 receiving yards and one score. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Eagles to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
