Alleghany hasn't had much luck against Starmount recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Trojans will welcome the Rams at 7:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Alleghany sitting on four straight victories and Starmount on three.
Alleghany will bounce into Friday's matchup after beating Ashe County, who they had gone 0-6 against in their six prior meetings. The Trojans claimed a resounding 49-14 win over the Huskies. While the Trojans didn't have the best season last year (they finished 4-6), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
John LeMasters
| 09/19/25 @ Ashe County | 200 |
| 08/29/25 vs Grayson County | 86 |
| 08/22/25 @ North Surry | 53 |
| 09/06/24 vs Mitchell | 52 |
| 10/18/24 vs Elkin | 43 |
John LeMasters had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 200 yards and a pair of scores while picking up 11.8 yards per carry, and also throwing for 45 yards and one touchdown. Those 200 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Aiden Love was another key player, gaining 104 total yards and two touchdowns.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Alleghany was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 500 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 168 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Starmount). They breezed past Elkin to the tune of 55-0 on Friday. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 145th, while the Buckin' Elks are ranked 375th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Alleghany better keep an eye on Deuce Best. He was instrumental in Starmount's win, throwing for 188 yards and three TDs while completing 72.7% of his passes, and also rushing for 31 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Jymir Billips, who rushed for 175 yards on only 14 carries.
Starmount didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Landry Mathis and Ryley Rodriguez.
Alleghany's victory bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Starmount, their win bumped their record up to 3-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Alleghany has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 311 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Starmount struggles in that department as they've been averaging 173.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Alleghany took a serious blow against Starmount in their previous matchup back in September of 2024, falling 49-0. Thankfully for the Trojans, Luke Collins (who threw for 220 yards and three TDs while completing 86.7% of his passes, and also rushed for 35 yards and one score) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
