Two dominant backs in Yoshua McBryde and Latrell Allen are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The St. Pauls Bulldogs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Westover Wolverines at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. St. Pauls' defense has only allowed 12.7 points per game this season, so Westover's offense will have their work cut out for them.
St. Pauls is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Seventy-First on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Bulldogs came up short against the Falcons, falling 34-14. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Bulldogs, who until this contest were averaging 12.71 points allowed.
Despite their loss, St. Pauls saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Antonio Arnold, who threw for 186 yards and a pair of touchdowns, was perhaps the best of all. 89 of those passing yards were hauled in by Jordan Norton.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Westover). They blew past Douglas Byrd 63-0 on Friday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Wolverines as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Westover's win came from a few key players St. Pauls will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jamarcus Glenn, who rushed for 90 yards and one score. He showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 67 yards. Joseph Tunewald was another key player, gaining 95 total yards and a touchdown.
Westover didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Douglas Byrd to a completion percentage of just 28.6%. The Wolverines have been improving in that area: they had allowed a completion percentage of 0.58 earlier this season, but they've only allowed one of 0.58 in their last three games.
Westover's win bumped their record up to 2-5. As for St. Pauls, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. St. Pauls has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 191 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Westover struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 151.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
St. Pauls couldn't quite finish off Westover in their previous matchup back in August of 2023 and fell 12-9. Thankfully for the Bulldogs, Christian Frazier (who rushed for 138 yards and one TD, and also threw for 59 yards and one touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
