The New Albany Eagles will play host again on Saturday to welcome the Westerville Central Warhawks, where kickoff is scheduled at 2:50 p.m.
New Albany is headed into the match out to prove that what happened against Pickerington North on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. New Albany came up short against Pickerington North, falling 34-14. The Eagles were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 27-0.
Despite the loss, New Albany had strong showings from Ashton Allen, who rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown, and Will Olah, who rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown. Allen got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 52 yards.
Meanwhile, Westerville Central can finally bid farewell to their ten-game losing streak dating back to last season thanks to their game on Friday. They never let Central Crossing onto the board and left with a 25-0 win. The Warhawks' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Westerville Central's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Wyatt Mauger, who threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Cam Huebner was Mauger's top target, picking up 106 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Westerville Central didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Anthony Leist and Jaxson Mark.
New Albany's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 3-6. As for Westerville Central, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-8.
Saturday's contest might be decided in the trenches. New Albany has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 239 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Westerville Central, though, as they've been averaging only 40.3. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
New Albany strolled past Westerville Central in their previous matchup back in October of 2023 by a score of 45-28. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Westerville Central's Jaystin Gwinn, who rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries, and also threw for 141 yards and a touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will New Albany still be able to contain Gwinn? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
