After each having a week off, the Langston Hughes Panthers and the East Paulding Raiders will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on the 14th. Langston Hughes is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
It was a proper cat-fight when Langston Hughes duked it out with Lovejoy on Friday. The Panthers simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Wildcats 35-7. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by 25 points or more this season.
Qwantavius Wiggins produced another solid performance rushing for 143 yards and two scores. Darnell Kelly was another key player, rushing for 33 yards and one TD.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Langston Hughes was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 262 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lovejoy only rushed for 79.
Langston Hughes didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jakhari Freeman and Deion Williams.
Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, East Paulding's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They fell just short of Villa Rica by a score of 17-14. While the Raiders didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Wildcats 7-0 in the first quarter.
Langston Hughes will have to keep a close watch on Kirk Anthony Thomas and Bode Spence, a pair of players who had a big impact on East Paulding's prior game. Anthony Thomas picked up 94 receiving yards and one touchdown, while Spence threw for 149 yards and one TD.
Langston Hughes' win bumped their record up to 10-0. As for East Paulding, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-4.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Langston Hughes has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 245.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like East Paulding struggles in that department as they've been averaging 149 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything went Langston Hughes' way against East Paulding in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, as Langston Hughes made off with a 54-29 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Raiders' Chantz Bouknight, who rushed for 86 yards and one score on only five carries, and also threw for 196 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on the 14th, will it be easier for the Panthers to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
