Football Recap: Wheeler Victorious

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Previous 5 Games

08/29/25 - Home	35-34 W
08/30/24 - Away	9-10 L
09/16/23 - Away	22-30 L
09/16/22 - Home	20-13 W
08/20/21 - Away	7-10 L

The matchup between Wheeler and North Atlanta on Friday hardly resembled the 10-9 effort from their previous meeting. The Wildcats won a contest that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by the Warriors 35-34. For the Wildcats, this counts as revenge for the 10-9 win the Warriors walked away with the last time they faced one another back in August of 2024.

Wheeler's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Greg Kendrick led the charge by rushing for 210 yards and one score while picking up 9.1 yards per carry. Kendrick really tore up the turf during one magnificent 73-yard run. The team also got some help courtesy of Patrick McCollough, who threw for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 10.9 yards per attempt.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Wheeler was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 232 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as North Atlanta only rushed for 106 rushing yards.

Another reason for the win was Wheeler's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Jemar Mitchell, Bolt Odutola, and Bryce Carries, who each picked up one sack apiece.

Weston Goodman and Josh McCullough certainly did their best on Friday to avoid the loss. Goodman threw for 230 yards and four TDs while completing 74.1% of his passes, while McCullough picked up 132 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

Wheeler's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for North Atlanta, they now also have a losing record of 1-2.

Looking ahead, Wheeler will host Kell at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. After each having a week off, North Atlanta and Forsyth Central will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:30 p.m. on the 12th. This will be the Warriors' first chance to prove their worth in the conference.