West Iredell is 0-4 against East Lincoln since October of 2021 but things could change on Friday. The Warriors will venture away from home to square off against the Mustangs at 7:30 p.m. West Iredell's defense has only allowed 5.8 points per game this season, so East Lincoln's offense will have their work cut out for them.
West Iredell's offense might be in the hot seat on Friday considering what happened against Maiden last Friday. They lost 21-0 to the Blue Devils. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Warriors were not able to get on the board.
The losing side was boosted by Amario Spence, who rushed for 110 yards.
Meanwhile, East Lincoln put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed past Bunker Hill to the tune of 57-0. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 23rd, while the Bears are ranked 282nd) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
East Lincoln's win came from a few key players West Iredell will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Grant Lawless, who threw for 159 yards and two TDs on only 11 passes, and also punched in one rushing score. Andrew Viers was another key back, rushing for 77 yards and one score.
East Lincoln's run defense was locked in: Bunker Hill could only muster 0.4 yards per carry. While three picked up at least two total tackles, Viers stood above the rest. He rushed for 77 yards and one touchdown. The dominant display was nothing new: East Lincoln has now limited their opponent to fewer and fewer yards per carry in three consecutive games.
East Lincoln's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Kaleb Lauffer, Jaxon Dollar, and Kaeden Hutchison, who each picked up one sack apiece. East Lincoln received some extra help from Dollar, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
East Lincoln's victory bumped their record up to 6-0. As for West Iredell, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 4-1.
The upcoming matchup will be a clash of competing strengths. West Iredell has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 192 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, East Lincoln has preferred to attack from the air: they average 309.5 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
West Iredell was taken down by East Lincoln 41-10 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Warriors were down 28-7.
