The Clover Blue Eagles will square off against the Nation Ford Falcons at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Clover has given up an average of 27.9 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Clover's offense might be in the hot seat on Friday considering what happened against Indian Land on Friday. They were dealt a 35-0 loss at the hands of the Warriors. While losing is never fun, the Blue Eagles can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 34th, while the Warriors are ranked fifth).
Meanwhile, Nation Ford came into Friday's game having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They walked away with a 41-34 win over Catawba Ridge on Friday. The score was all tied up 14-14 at the break, but the Falcons were the better team in the second half.
Nation Ford's win came from a few key players Clover will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kason Canupp, who threw for 283 yards and five TDs while picking up 11.8 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 108 yards on only 12 carries. He has become a key player for Nation Ford: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least 80 rushing yards, but 2-3 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Malachi Drayton, who gained 118 total yards.
Nation Ford was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 231 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in three consecutive matchups.
Clover has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-4 record this season. As for Nation Ford, their victory was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 4-4.
Everything came up roses for Clover against Nation Ford when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 53-20 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Falcons' Lucas Barz, who picked up 112 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Blue Eagles to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
