Two dominant backs in Qwantavius Wiggins and Jaylon Teagle are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. A feisty cat fight will be fought when Panthers takes on the Newnan Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Langston Hughes comes in on three and Newnan on four.
Langston Hughes' defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat McIntosh 49-0 at home. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 11th, while the Chiefs are ranked 227th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Wiggins, who rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 102.2 rushing yards per game. Langston Hughes also got a significant boost from Carsyn Baker, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 89 yards.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Langston Hughes was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 247 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 210 rushing yards in six consecutive matches.
Langston Hughes didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Keyawn Spence and Kijohn Braxton. Braxton is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least six every time he's taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, Newnan got the win against Dutchtown on Friday by a conclusive 44-21. With the Cougars ahead 35-14 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Newnan's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Teagle, who rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns. That's the most rushing yards Teagle has posted since back in October of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Gus Anderson, who picked up 188 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Newnan's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB four times. Dutchtown's QB won't forget Ashton Lawless anytime soon given he sacked him twice. Lawless also set a new season high mark in total tackles with four.
Langston Hughes' victory was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. As for Newnan, their record now sits at an identical 5-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Langston Hughes has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 272.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Newnan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 168. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Langston Hughes against Newnan in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, as the squad secured a 47-14 win. Will Langston Hughes repeat their success, or does Newnan have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
