Western Harnett hasn't had much luck against Union Pines recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Eagles will head out on the road to challenge the Vikings at 7:30 p.m. Western Harnett has given up an average of 32.7 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Western Harnett is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against West Johnston on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Eagles had to suffer through a 35-7 loss at the hands of the Wildcats. The Eagles were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-0.
Despite the defeat, Western Harnett saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Creig Matthews picked up 83 receiving yards and one TD. Matthews showed off some serious burst, cutting upfield on a catch for 58 yards.
Meanwhile, Union Pines had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 29.7 points) and they went ahead and made it seven on Friday. They really took it to the Yellow Jackets for the full four quarters, racking up a 42-3 win. Considering the Vikings have won six games by more than 21 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Western Harnett better keep an eye on Ian Hicks. He was instrumental in Union Pines' win, throwing for 164 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also rushing for 75 yards on only five carries. Those 75 rushing yards gave Hicks a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Adrian Colon, who rushed for 66 yards and two scores.
Union Pines' victory bumped their record up to 8-1. As for Western Harnett, their loss dropped their record down to 2-7.
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Matthews and Colon. Matthews just won't slow down this season and has averaged 60.2 rushing yards per game. Colon has been a dominant force too and has run in 8 touchdowns while averaging 100.5 rushing yards per game.
Western Harnett was taken down by Union Pines 45-0 when the teams last played back in September of 2024. Thankfully for the Eagles, Anthony Goswick (who threw for 140 yards and three TDs on only 13 passes, and also rushed for 80 yards and one touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
