Two dominant backs in Kolin Wilson and CJ Benjamin Jr are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Gulf Shores Dolphins will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Vigor Wolves at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Gulf Shores put another one in the bag two weeks ago to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Elberta on the road to the tune of 55-7. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 27-7.
Gulf Shores' success was spearheaded by the efforts of Ronnie Royal, who gained 119 total yards and three touchdowns, and Wilson, who rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries. Wilson was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 65 yards. Jud Harris was another key contributor, throwing for 216 yards and a touchdown on only 18 passes.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Vigor on the road against Elberta on Friday as the squad secured a 46-7 win. Given Vigor's advantage in MaxPreps' Alabama football rankings (they are ranked 39th, while Elberta is ranked 186th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Vigor relied on the efforts of Jerrian Graham, who threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 passes, and Benjamin Jr, who rushed for 142 yards on only 12 carries. Gerritt Holcombe did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 100 receiving yards.
Gulf Shores' win was their eighth straight on the road (dating back to last season), which bumped their overall record up to 8-0. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 42.1 points per game. As for Vigor, the victory makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Gulf Shores has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 225.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Vigor struggles in that department as they've been averaging 193 per game. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Gulf Shores strolled past Vigor in their previous meeting back in October of 2022 by a score of 37-21. Does Gulf Shores have another victory up their sleeve, or will Vigor turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
