Central is 2-7 against West Elk since October of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Central Raiders and the West Elk Patriots are set to duel.
Central is headed into Thursday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Friday. They took a blow against Sedan, falling 62-20.
Despite their defeat, Central saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Hunter Henderson, who threw for 152 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 35 yards, was perhaps the best of all. Dante Henley was in the mix too, providing Central with two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, West Elk put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their match on the road with ease, bagging a 66-8 win over Northeast. The Patriots' offense checked out after the first half but had enough points banked to take the game anyway.
West Elk relied on the efforts of Creyo Koop, who gained 118 total yards and three touchdowns, and Trent Haag, who rushed for 54 yards and two touchdowns. Koop is also on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last seven games he's played dating back to last season.
West Elk didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Garett Usry and Haag.
Central's loss dropped their record down to 1-6. As for West Elk, their victory was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-0.
Everything went Central's way against West Elk when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as Central made off with a 48-28 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Koop, who rushed for 111 yards and four touchdowns. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Central still be able to contain Koop? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
