The North Paulding Wolfpack will head out to challenge the Wheeler Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 909 yards in their previous games.
Last Friday, North Paulding earned a 33-20 victory over Etowah. Given the Wolfpack's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 49th, while the Eagles are ranked 153rd) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Darian Smith
| 09/19/25 vs North Cobb | 56 |
| 09/12/25 @ Cherokee | 68 |
| 09/05/25 vs South Paulding | 85 |
| 10/03/25 vs Etowah | 109 |
North Paulding found their leader in sophomore Darian Smith, who rushed for 109 yards and two scores on only 12 carries. Those 109 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Smith. Kingslee Simpson was in the mix too, providing North Paulding with two touchdowns.
North Paulding was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 312 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Etowah only rushed for 109.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to North Paulding's defense and their seven sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Grant Henderson and Paul Dabbelt, who racked up four sacks between them. Henderson is becoming a predictor of North Paulding's success: when he posts at least one sack the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Levi Hilty was another major factor on D, picking up a sack, making six total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defending one pass.
Meanwhile, Wheeler was able to grind out a solid win over Etowah on Friday, taking the game 34-24. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Wildcats.
North Paulding better keep an eye on Brock Adams. He was instrumental in Wheeler's win, rushing for 97 yards and three TDs. Adams also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making one tackle and defending one pass in addition to snagging an interception. Another player making a difference was Patrick McCollough, who threw for 161 yards on nine of 18 attempts.
Wheeler didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Bolt Odutola and Adams.
North Paulding's record now sits at 5-2. As for Wheeler, their record is now 3-5.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. North Paulding has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 263.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Wheeler struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 185.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
North Paulding beat Wheeler 22-14 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wolfpack since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
