The Northwestern Trojans will be playing at home against the Gaffney Indians at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Northwestern's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last seven games.
Northwestern is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Catawba Ridge 42-7. Given the Trojans' advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina football rankings (they are ranked first, while the Copperheads are ranked 42nd) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Kameron Vance
| 08/29/25 vs Ridge View | 4 |
| 09/19/25 @ Nation Ford | 3 |
| 09/05/25 @ South Florence | 3 |
| 11/14/25 vs Catawba Ridge | 2 |
| 10/03/25 @ Clover | 2 |
Xavier Means continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, throwing for 189 yards and two TDs, while also punching in one touchdown on the ground. Kameron Vance was in the mix as well, providing Northwestern with two scores.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Northwestern, adding 16 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Vance, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Northwestern didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jayden Baxter and Amarian Coleman. Coleman has been hot recently, having also posted at least one defended passe the last four times he's played.
Meanwhile, Gaffney entered their tilt with Greenwood on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They walked away with a 38-31 win over the Eagles.
Gaffney's win came from a few key players Northwestern will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Josiah Hill, who rushed for 96 yards and a pair of TDs. He also punched in two rushing touchdowns, which is notable because Gaffney is undefeated when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 2-3 otherwise.
Gaffney was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 279 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 219 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.
Northwestern's record now sits at 10-1. As for Gaffney, their record is now 9-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Northwestern has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 224.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Gaffney struggles in that department as they've been averaging 185.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Northwestern strolled past Gaffney when the teams last played back in December of 2024 by a score of 58-40. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Indians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
