Two dominant backs in Spencer Bobian and Landyn Strong are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Ridge View Blazers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Blythewood Bengals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 1,092 yards in their previous games.
Ridge View is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of South Carolina's top teams: Sumter, who was ranked 17th at the time (Ridge View was ranked 12th). The Blazers took a 36-29 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Gamecocks on Friday. The Blazers gained 360 more yards on the day, but it was the Gamecocks that made the best use of them.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Bijon Virgo, who threw for 237 yards and one touchdown. Ridge View's leading receiver Khristian Jackson was Virgo's top target yet again, picking up 111 receiving yards and one TD.
Meanwhile, Blythewood was not able to break out of their rough patch last Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They fell 47-34 to Sumter. While the Bengals didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Gamecocks 14-7 in the first quarter.
Ridge View will have to contain James Veasey as he made an impact in Blythewood's last game. He threw for 214 yards and five touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes, and also rushed for 95 yards. Tay'Shawn Johnson was Veasey's top target, picking up 60 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Blythewood's defeat dropped their record down to 3-6. As for Ridge View, their loss was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 6-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Ridge View has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 190.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Blythewood struggles in that department as they've been averaging 177 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Ridge View strolled past Blythewood when the teams last played back in November of 2024 by a score of 21-7. Do the Blazers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bengals turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
