The Greenbrier East Spartans will host the Sissonville Indians this Friday night, October 23, in a critical matchup that could have possible playoff implications over the next few weeks.
The Spartans sit at 5-2 with three games left and every game from here on out will be extra important.
The Indians have only played two games this season due to COVID-19 restrictions, but are 2-0 and have plenty of talent to give the Spartans some unwanted fits.
They have defeated Herbert Hoover 28-21 and Riverside 33-15.
Sissonville possesses a good defense and they are able to carry the team if need be. Against Hoover, with the game tied at 21-all late in the fourth quarter, their defense recovered a fumble and gained momentum back for the offense. Their offense went right down the field and ended the game with a Dylan Griffith touchdown run that sealed the deal. The defense forced five total turnovers on the night.
Speaking of Griffith, he is a hard runner who has rushed for 245 yards and three touchdowns already. He is the key to the Indians offense.
However, he is joined in the backfield by quarterback Jackson Foster. Foster is a true dual-threat player who can throw and run. In the win over Hoover, Foster ran for 133 yards and passed for 158. He followed that with 161 yards passing against Riverside. He does not get rattled, and has stayed focused and poised early on this year.
His favorite target is two-way player Braeden Murray. Murray returned a fumble for a score against Riverside and also hauled in an impressive 41-yard TD catch.
The Spartans are riding high after their thrilling 49-46 win over Woodrow Wilson last Friday night. East had three 100-yard rushers in the victory. Monquelle Davis (157 yards), Quentin Wilson (133) and Colby Piner (110) ran through, between and around the Beckley defenders.
One weakness in the last two games for East is their run defense. Oak Hill gashed them for 413 yards and Woodrow got 361 on the ground. The Spartans will need to tighten up the run defense or Griffith could make life difficult for them Friday night.
However, the East offense has been so efficient that they are able to get in shootouts if they have to. There hasn’t been a defense yet that has slowed them down with the exception of Jefferson in week two, but even then the Spartans still played well on that side of the ball.
Friday could be another entertaining contest. Two high flying offenses and opportunistic defenses always make for must see football. That will be the case again in Fairlea when everything kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
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