West Bladen’s Hunter Hester (left-center) releaseas the ball under pressure.
BLADENBORO— The West Bladen Knights take on the Clinton Darkhorses this Friday in a SAC 6 Conference clash. The Knights open up conference play against an undefeated opponent and welcome in last season’s defending SAC champions. Clinton’s offense has run through some quality opponents on their schedule so far this season and will come into Friday averaging 45.2 points per game.
Clinton senior wideout Josiah McLaurin shined in last week’s victory against Prinecton with 107 yards on six catches and three touchdowns.The Darkhorses’ has an high octane offense and they have plenty of skill players that are capable of making big plays. They’ve been averaging 415.8 yards per game and their defense has been equally dominant on the other side of the ball.
West Bladen will be looking for a response after last week’s 66-20 loss against Havelock but will come into Friday’s game as the underdog. The Knights can always count on junior athlete Hezikiah Adams for a spark on offense or defense. Adams was involved in all three of the Knights touchdowns against Havelock–the first was on a 85 yard kickoff return, the second was a six yard touchdown run, and he used his arm to throw a touchdown pass on the third touchdown of the night.
Clinton defeated West Bladen for a 68-0 win at home in last season’s match-up and they were able to put up a total of 339 yards while holding their opponents to a total of 146 yards. The Knights defense is last in the conference for points allowed after giving up an average of 42.2 points through five games. West Bladen seniors Aaron Lewis and Jahmar Richardson have been two standout defenders for their team this season.
The Darkhorses’ leads almost every statistical category with the best offense and the best defense in SAC 6. Junior quarterback Nydarion Blackwell has been efficient throwing the ball for the Darkhorses’ with a 55 percent completion rate and he’s averaging 128.4 yards per game.
Clinton sophomore middle-linebacker Jayden Williiams has stood out as one of their best defenders this season. He leads the Darkhorses’ in tackles and he’s averaging two sacks a game to give his opponent frontlines nightmares. West Bladen have had a tough time running the ball this season and Friday night won’t get any easier. Princeton went into last week’s game against Clinton averaging 360 yards on the ground but they were held to under 200 yards rushing against a stout defense.
Leaving the field on empty possessions can spell a long night for the Knights as their opponents have the ability to score quick and often. This week seven conference clash will kickoff at 7 p.m. this Friday at West Bladen High School.