UPDATE – FINAL SCORE
Wake Forest 55
Vance County 0
RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK
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The 3-2 Wake Forest Cougars travel to Viper Stadium Friday for a 7 p.m. conference matchup.
The Cougars thumped Hillside last week, while the 0-5 Vance County Vipers enjoyed a week off, something Head Coach Aaron Elliott said came at a good time.
The team took some time to get healthy, practice on technique and fundamentals and had a little fun along the way, Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk with WIZS’s Scout Hughes and George Hoyle.
“It was fun – we needed it,” Elliott said of the extra practice time and the breather that a bye week brings. “Having that tough schedule that we have in our non-conference (play) really prepares us for the conference,” he said.
Hopefully, that preparation will pay off in Friday’s matchup. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Elliott said Jerimi Strong and Aaden Trowbridge both have come back from concussion protocols; having an extra week helped get those players back in the rotation.
The Vipers will need to execute on offense, defense and special teams if they want to gain the upper hand against a strong Wake Forest team, which features senior Micah Olu. Elliott said his defense has to be aggressive and get to the ball against the Cougars. They’ve practiced it all week, he said. “If we can play technique football and slow them down on defense, I think we’ll be fine,” Elliott said.
The keys to the game are simple: the Vipers have to play “mistake-free football,” offensively, defensively and special teams and they’ve got to be able to sustain drives.“We’ve got to do all the right things to be able to beat them – they’re a pretty good football team.”
Area High School Football Games for Week 7:
- Vance County (0-5) vs. Wake Forest (3-2)
- Franklinton (5-0) @ Knightdale (0-5)
- Heritage (1-4) vs. East Wake (2-3)
- J.F. Webb (2-3) @ Carrboro (1-4)
- South Granville (3-2) @ Cedar Ridge (0-3)
- Warren County (5-0) @ Southeast Halifax (1-4)
- Louisburg (4-1) vs. Nash Central (0-5)
- Bunn (2-3) vs. ALA-Johnston (1-4)
- Wake Prep (4-2) @ Roanoke Rapids (3-2)
- Mecklenburg County, VA (1-4) vs. Halifax County, VA (1-4)
Bye Weeks this Week:
- Person (1-5)
Vance County hosts Wake Forest High School for Breast Cancer Awareness Night in Week 7 of the 2026 season on Friday, October 2nd and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting at 6:50 p.m. and kickoff thereafter at 7:00 p.m.
CLICK PLAY!
