West Bladen coming out for the second half of last weeks game.
Alex Brooks | Bladen Journal
BLADENBORO — The West Bladen Knights will play their final game of the regular-season against Red Springs on the road this Friday. The Knights have been on a five game skid since their last win against East Columbus at the beginning of September and will look to finish their season on a high note against the fourth place team in the conference. Red Springs have gone 2-3 over their last five games and will be entering Friday’s game coming off a 26-12 loss to Midway.
The Red Devils like to play spread formation on offense with their senior quarterback Scottie Locklear operating out of the shotgun. Their senior running-back Jackelsin Mack is capable of gashing defenses with his speed and power to give his team balance on the offense. The Knights have allowed an average of 38.4 ppg over their last five games and slowing down the run has been their achilles heel.
West Bladen is thin on the depth chart at key positions and injuries have hampered them since the beginning of the month. Junior athlete Hezikiah Adams has been the Knights star this season by making crucial plays on both sides of the ball. Adams had 176 all-purpose yards with a touchdown and snagged an interception in the loss against Fairmont last week.
Red Springs defense should expect the ball to be in Adams hands as he’s liable to line up at receiver or quarterback. West Bladen junior defensive-end Tyleak Ballard has been an important player to the defense and his ability to get into the backfield will be needed to slow the Red Devils offense down. Senior’s Travis Baxley and Jahmar Richardson also will be key to the Knights defensive efforts; they combined for 14 tackles last week against Fairmont.
The Red Devils have allowed an average of 27.2 ppg over the past five games and they’ve also been vulnerable to the run this season. West Bladen have been able to run the ball successfully with 445 rushing yards on the ground over the past three games. Senior running-back Messyah Whitted has got the bulk of the carries for the Knights this season and he’ll be relied upon for positive gains this Friday.
The Knights are on the bubble for playoff contention and a win this Friday could bolster their chances. Red Springs will be in the same position and a win will be a must for their playoff hopes as well. Friday’s SAC 6 clash will kickoff at 7 pm at Red Springs High School for the 2023 regular-season finale.