GW Key Players:
Sophomore Wesley Graves 124 carries, 1,233 yards, 9.8 avg 21 TDs
Junior Carlos Poole 84 carries 616 yards, 7.2 avg, 12 TDs/127 attempts, 71comp, 1,438yards 18 TDs 1 Int
Sophomore Shawn Watlington Jr. 32 catches 767yards 24.1avg 11TDs
Senior Weber Harris 46carries, 362yards, 8.5avg, 10TDs/ 22 catches 292yards 13.5 avg 3 TDs
Senior Jerry Horng 69-72 Extra Points 4-6 Field Goals 81points
Stats: GWFootball.com
Amherst Key Players:
DT David Braxton
RB Frank Ross 22-361 (5 TDs) in last meeting
QB/LB Keshon Turner 6-9-0 (208, 2 TDs) in last meeting
Lineman Mykel Wimbush
WR Tysheem Megginson/Devonte Smith/Darius Scott combined for 190 yards receiving in last meeting.
The series continues. GW leads the all time series at 18 wins to Amherst's 10. In September the game looked like a runaway in GW's favor before the Lancers outscored the Eagles 43-17 in 2 quarters and 27 seconds to win 55-45. With GW's dynamic sophomore RB Wesley Graves on the bench due to a deep shoulder bruise and Carl Poole nursing a severely sprang ankle, GW was down to their 3rd string running back AND IT SHOWED...the Eagles struggled to find anything offensively and the defense failed to stop the phenom Amherst Junior RB Frank Ross as HE LOOKED LIKE A Herschel Walker CLONE rushing for 361 yards on just 22 CARRIES. Since then GW's defense has gotten progressively better. Carl Poole is the hardest hitter west of K'Vaughan Pope's current location and he's healthy. If not for a couple of bad bounces, Amherst is a top 3 team in Region D. Those cats can flat out play but has struggled with consistency all year.
My prediction:
Amherst wins if: GW continues the "playoff curse". I've seen some GW teams roll through the regular season and straight up lay an egg in the playoffs. Were those teams as good as this GW team? No, but certainly did not lack star power. Frank Ross will have a big game but can GW limit the big plays of Turner and his receivers? It remains to be seen. If Amherst can sustain drives, score and eat up clock while doing so? I give the edge to Amherst. Limit the Eagle's offense. GW has struggled with teams that make them think..If you speed the game up you're playing into GW's hands.
GW wins if: They play like they played in the other 9 games, I love the Eagles chances. They've scored at will. Defense feeds off of the offense, which is usually the other way around but it has worked for GW. The secondary has gotten a lot better with the addition of super sophomore Shawn Watlington Jr. who reminds me a lot of former Eagle and current Cincinnati Bearcat Malik Clements, not as much speed but better hands . The linebacking core has gotten a lot better and stronger with Carl Poole and Zy Gunter leading the way. Look out for Sophomore JV callup Kendrell McClary to make an impact on the offense and defense sides.
Sophomore Wesley Graves 124 carries, 1,233 yards, 9.8 avg 21 TDs
Junior Carlos Poole 84 carries 616 yards, 7.2 avg, 12 TDs/127 attempts, 71comp, 1,438yards 18 TDs 1 Int
Sophomore Shawn Watlington Jr. 32 catches 767yards 24.1avg 11TDs
Senior Weber Harris 46carries, 362yards, 8.5avg, 10TDs/ 22 catches 292yards 13.5 avg 3 TDs
Senior Jerry Horng 69-72 Extra Points 4-6 Field Goals 81points
Stats: GWFootball.com
Amherst Key Players:
DT David Braxton
RB Frank Ross 22-361 (5 TDs) in last meeting
QB/LB Keshon Turner 6-9-0 (208, 2 TDs) in last meeting
Lineman Mykel Wimbush
WR Tysheem Megginson/Devonte Smith/Darius Scott combined for 190 yards receiving in last meeting.
The series continues. GW leads the all time series at 18 wins to Amherst's 10. In September the game looked like a runaway in GW's favor before the Lancers outscored the Eagles 43-17 in 2 quarters and 27 seconds to win 55-45. With GW's dynamic sophomore RB Wesley Graves on the bench due to a deep shoulder bruise and Carl Poole nursing a severely sprang ankle, GW was down to their 3rd string running back AND IT SHOWED...the Eagles struggled to find anything offensively and the defense failed to stop the phenom Amherst Junior RB Frank Ross as HE LOOKED LIKE A Herschel Walker CLONE rushing for 361 yards on just 22 CARRIES. Since then GW's defense has gotten progressively better. Carl Poole is the hardest hitter west of K'Vaughan Pope's current location and he's healthy. If not for a couple of bad bounces, Amherst is a top 3 team in Region D. Those cats can flat out play but has struggled with consistency all year.
My prediction:
Amherst wins if: GW continues the "playoff curse". I've seen some GW teams roll through the regular season and straight up lay an egg in the playoffs. Were those teams as good as this GW team? No, but certainly did not lack star power. Frank Ross will have a big game but can GW limit the big plays of Turner and his receivers? It remains to be seen. If Amherst can sustain drives, score and eat up clock while doing so? I give the edge to Amherst. Limit the Eagle's offense. GW has struggled with teams that make them think..If you speed the game up you're playing into GW's hands.
GW wins if: They play like they played in the other 9 games, I love the Eagles chances. They've scored at will. Defense feeds off of the offense, which is usually the other way around but it has worked for GW. The secondary has gotten a lot better with the addition of super sophomore Shawn Watlington Jr. who reminds me a lot of former Eagle and current Cincinnati Bearcat Malik Clements, not as much speed but better hands . The linebacking core has gotten a lot better and stronger with Carl Poole and Zy Gunter leading the way. Look out for Sophomore JV callup Kendrell McClary to make an impact on the offense and defense sides.