Two dominant signal callers in Faizon Brandon and Aiden Smalls are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Grimsley Whirlies will challenge the Clayton Comets at 8:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Grimsley 11.6, Clayton 14.1) so any points scored will be well earned.
Grimsley is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They managed a 13-7 victory over Weddington. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Whirlies' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' national football rankings (they are ranked 14th, while the Warriors are ranked 100th).
Ty Shoemake
| 08/22/25 vs West Charlotte | 21 |
| 10/03/25 vs Varina | 28 |
| 09/19/25 @ Southwest Guilford | 46 |
| 11/28/25 vs Reagan | 51 |
| 09/05/25 vs East Forsyth | 55 |
Grimsley found their leader in sophomore Ty Shoemake, who rushed for 147 yards and one score while picking up 8.6 yards per carry. Those 147 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Shoemake.
Grimsley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 251 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in December of 2024.
Grimsley didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Evander Davis and Kosci Barnes. Another thorn in Weddington's side was Kyrie Millner, who made ten total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Clayton came tearing into Thursday's contest with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24.5 points), and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Crusaders, sneaking past 35-32. 35 seems to be a good number for the Comets as the squad scooped up a win with the same number of points in their previous game.
Grimsley better keep an eye on Parker Ferguson. He was instrumental in Clayton's win, picking up 137 receiving yards and one TD. Those 137 receiving yards gave Ferguson a new career-high.
Grimsley's record now sits at 14-0. As for Clayton, their record is now 12-2.
Everything came up roses for Grimsley against Clayton in their previous meeting back in August of 2022, as the team secured a 42-14 victory. Will the Whirlies repeat their success, or do the Comets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
