The Wayne Pioneers will head out to take on the Nitro Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Wayne will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
If Wayne beats Nitro with 26 points on Friday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. Wayne walked away with a 26-14 victory over Winfield on Friday.
Jayden Wayman was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries. Wayman is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 106 every time he's taken the field this season. Ronnie Staley was another key player, rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown on only ten carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Wayne was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 305 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 204 rushing yards in 11 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Nitro hadn't done well against Chapmanville Regional recently (they were 0-8 in their previous eight matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Nitro came out on top against Chapmanville Regional by a score of 34-21. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Wildcats considering their seven-point performance the matchup before.
Nitro's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Josh Moody, who threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 31 yards. Malachi Thompson was in the mix as well, providing Nitro with two touchdowns.
Another reason for the win was Nitro's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Tucker Emswiler with two. Another thorn in Chapmanville Regional's side was Wyatt Sowards, who made 16 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Wayne's record is now 3-0. As for Nitro, their record now sits at 3-1.
The upcoming contest will be a clash of competing strengths. Wayne has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 253.7 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Nitro has preferred to attack from the air: they average 272.5 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Wayne came up short against Nitro in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, falling 33-21. Can Wayne avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
