West Columbus is on a 13-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Wilson Prep is on a four-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The West Columbus Vikings will take on the Wilson Prep Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but West Columbus had no problem doing just that on Friday. They took their contest at home with ease, bagging a 42-0 victory over the Leopards. Given West Columbus' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 133rd, while Lakewood is ranked 283rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Unique Kelly was his usual excellent self, rushing for 133 yards and four touchdowns on only ten carries. Kelly was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 59 yards.
West Columbus' defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB four times. ?? Triston?nuk?freeman?? was especially locked on to Lakewood's QB and sacked him twice.
Meanwhile, Wilson Prep's offense rose to the challenge against a Mustangs defense that boasted an average of only 15.08 points allowed. Wilson Prep breezed by North Moore at home to the tune of 42-15.
Christian Richardson and Travon Usher were among the main playmakers for Wilson Prep as the former rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries and the latter rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries. Khamani Barnes was another key contributor, rushing for 112 yards on only seven carries.
Their wins bumped West Columbus to 11-1 and Lakewood to 10-3.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: West Columbus has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 214.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Wilson Prep struggles in that department as they've been even better at 416.2 per game. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches. Come back here after the game to get analysis of the match and other football content.
