Forest hasn't had much luck against Vanguard recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Wildcats will head out to face off against the Knights at 7:30 p.m. Forest will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
On Friday, Forest strolled past West Port with points to spare, taking the game 34-15. The Wildcats pushed the score to 27-7 by the end of the third, a deficit the Wolf Pack cut but never quite recovered from.
Keziyrehun Rivers
| 09/12/25 @ Horizon | 238 |
| 09/19/25 vs Gainesville | 179 |
| 10/24/25 vs West Port | 152 |
| 10/17/25 vs Davenport | 141 |
| 10/10/25 @ Lake Minneola | 117 |
| + 4 more games |
Forest got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Keziyrehun Rivers out in front who rushed for 152 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 7.6 yards per carry. Rivers has become a key player for the Wildcats: the team is 5-1 when he posts at least 80 rushing yards, but 1-2 otherwise. Another passer making a difference was Caleb Sanford, who threw for 153 yards and one touchdown while completing 81.2% of his passes.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Forest was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 240 rushing yards. They are a perfect 5-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Another reason for the win was Forest's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for nine sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Keyontae Davenport, Knox Boutwell, and Daylin Eason, who each picked up 1.5 sacks apiece.
Meanwhile, Vanguard never let their opponents score on Friday. They claimed a resounding 44-0 victory over Gainesville. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won five games by 24 points or more so far this season.
Vanguard's win came from a few key players Forest will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was James Pullings, who rushed for 43 yards and a pair of scores. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in rushing touchdowns (two). Terrance Lewis was another key player, rushing for 77 yards and one TD on only seven carries.
Vanguard didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Montrelle Wilkerson and Hunter Schaller.
Forest's record now sits at 6-3. As for Vanguard, their record is now 7-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Forest has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 196.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Vanguard struggles in that department as they've been averaging 228.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Forest was dealt a bruising 44-2 loss at the hands of Vanguard in their previous meeting back in November of 2024. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Wildcats were down 28-2.
