The Gray Collegiate Academy War Eagles are taking a road trip to face off against the Aiken Fighting Green Hornets at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Gray Collegiate Academy has five straight victories, Aiken has six straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Friday, Gray Collegiate Academy was fully in charge, breezing past South Aiken 44-7. Given the War Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 21st, while the Thoroughbreds are ranked 100th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Corey Gleaton
| 09/26/25 vs North Augusta | 182 |
| 09/12/25 vs Dutch Fork | 137 |
| 09/05/25 @ Marlboro County | 116 |
| 10/17/25 vs South Aiken | 103 |
| 09/19/25 @ Midland Valley | 84 |
Gray Collegiate Academy's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Trevon Williamson, who rushed for 152 yards and two scores. Corey Gleaton also helped out with an impressive 103 receiving yards.
Gray Collegiate Academy's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB four times. Dawson Peek refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. Jp Sweatt got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Aiken came up short against Midland Valley on Friday and fell 39-32. While the Fighting Green Hornets had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Mustangs 20-8.
Gray Collegiate Academy will have to keep a close watch on Tanner Padgett and Stephan Pope, a pair of players who had a big impact on Aiken's prior game. Padgett punched in two rushing scores, while Pope picked up 82 receiving yards and one touchdown. Pope showed off some serious burst, lighting up the secondary with a catch for 64 yards.
Aiken's loss dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Gray Collegiate Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 6-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's game: Gray Collegiate Academy has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 357.9 total yards per game. It's a different story for Aiken, though, as they've been averaging only 229.9 total yards. Will Gray Collegiate Academy be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will the Fighting Green Hornets flip the script? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
