#9 Wadley 51 Victory Christian 13

Lions’ quarterback Harrison Cheatwood pulled off some miraculous plays last Friday, including a mad scramble after getting flushed out of the pocket that led to a 65-yard bomb down the middle of the field to wideout Ethan Carlisle for a touchdown. A twisting, tackle-breaking 15-yard quarterback draw by Cheatman led to the Lions’ second score, but the beleaguered quarterback was under enormous pressure all night as Wadley’s defensive ends dominated the edges and gave the Lions’ receivers little time to complete their routes before Harrison had to bolt out of the pocket or get sacked. Wadley’s wishbone backfield of Kerrion Birdsong, Trent Belcher and Kamaurey Avery relentlessly pounded the Lions’ smaller defense with over 330 yards on the ground, leading to Victory Christian’s second straight loss.

Week 9 Matchup: Victory Christian (5-2) @ Ragland (3-5)

Though the Lions have two more victories than Ragland, within the region they are tied with three victories each with one game left on their regional schedule – against one another. The third team in Region 5 with three wins – Winterboro, will likely lose their last regional game against the mighty Wadley Bulldogs, so this matchup in Ragland on Friday is for a spot in the playoffs.

The key for Victory Christian is for linebacker Kyle Roberson and the rest of the defense to find a way to stop the play-action attack of quarterback Stony Merritt, Jr., a running quarterback who uses his tailback duo of Jaden Killings and Colby Fuller to pound out yards and open up the Purple Devils’ passing game.

Ragland’s biggest challenge will be to find a way to limit the damage wrought by Cheatwood, a quarterback who has improved enormously through the season. Wide receiver Ethan Carlisle has emerged this year as a frightening deep ball threat, which helps the running game, led by Shawn Traywick, immensely.