Two dominant backs in Qwantavius Wiggins and Woody Schettini are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. After each having a week off, the Langston Hughes Panthers and the Northgate Vikings will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Northgate will be up against a hot Langston Hughes squad: the team just extended their winning streak to seven. The Panthers blew past McIntosh, posting a 68-13 victory. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Panthers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked sixth, while the Chiefs are ranked 175th).
Darnell Kelly had another great game (as he tends to do), throwing for 188 yards and three TDs on only ten passes, while also rushing for 63 yards and one score.all of that, rushing production came thanks to one massive run Another player making a difference was Jamarion McKinney, who picked up 106 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Langston Hughes proved: they limited McIntosh to a paltry 0.7 yards per carry. The team can thank Deon McKinley for the heroic effort on defense: he. Langston Hughes hasn't allowed more than 9.3 yards per carry in three consecutive matchups.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Langston Hughes, adding 12 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of McKinney, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Northgate took their game last Friday with ease, bagging a 39-6 win over Morrow. With the Vikings ahead 26-0 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Northgate's win came from a few key players Langston Hughes will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Treveon Gill, who picked up 109 receiving yards, and also rushed for 37 yards. Those 109 receiving yards gave him a new career-high.
Northgate's victory bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Langston Hughes, their win bumped their record up to an identical 7-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Langston Hughes has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 239.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Northgate struggles in that department as they've been averaging 219.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Langston Hughes against Northgate when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 46-0 victory. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Vikings turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
