UPDATE – FINAL SCORE
Vance County 48
East Wake 19
RECAP MONDAY ON SPORTSTALK
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Building on some positive statistics from last week’s Homecoming game against the Heritage Huskies, Vance County Vipers Head Coach Aaron Elliott is feeling optimistic as he and his staff prepare for Friday’s away game against the East Wake Warriors.
Although the Vipers were handed a loss last week, Elliott told WIZS’s Scout Hughes and George Hoyle that he was pleased with the rushing yards – 286 – and the most points on the board – 33. – that the Vipers put up.
“We did a lot of things that we knew we could do – we just hadn’t done it yet,” Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.
Last week’s game plan stuck with the X’s and O’s used in previous games, but the coaching staff decided to move junior Harry Cheek to the backfield after watching him in recent practices. Cheek, who’d had three carries up until last week, rushed for 160 yards against the Huskies.
Elliott said this week’s practice has been one of the best all season, and he said the players are playing with more confidence as a result of their level of play last week.
As the season winds down, Elliott said these last games are key if the Vipers have a hope at making the playoffs.
“If we can get our defense playing like we know they can, get the defense dialed in” and more focused, Elliott said there’s a shot. The team has worked on ball control and ball security this week.
As Elliott reviewed the stats from last week, he said one thing caught his eye – “we held Heritage to 10 third downs. That’s big.”
He and the coaching staff have emphasized to the team this week that they need to win first and third downs to stay competitive on the field.
The Warrior’s offense seems to be a balance of run and throw, Elliott said, but “they’ve got a mobile quarterback that we’ve got to contain.” The defense needs to keep him in the pocked and keep pressure on him.
Despite the disappointing 1-7 record, Elliott said his team doesn’t quit. “We don’t quit. We don’t give up,” he said. “My hats off to them. They play hard to the end.”
Week 10 High School Football Games in our Area:
- Vance County (1-7, 0-3 N6C) @ East Wake (3-5, 1-2 N6C)
- Franklinton (6-2, 2-1 N6C) vs. Wake Forest (4-4, 3-0 N6C)
- Heritage (3-5, 2-1 N6C) vs. Knightdale (2-6, 1-2 N6C)
- J.F. Webb (6-2) vs. Seaforth (4-4)
- South Granville (3-5) @ Orange (1-7)
- Warren County (7-1) @ KIPP Pride (8-0)
- Louisburg (8-0) @ Bunn (6-2)
- Wake Prep (4-3) vs. Nash Central (2-6)
- Mecklenburg County, VA (1-7) @ George Washington-Danville, VA (6-1)
Vance County travels to East Wake High School for Week 10 of the 2025 season on Friday, October 24th and you can hear all the action on WIZS 1450AM, 100.1FM, and online at wizs.com with pregame starting around 6:50 p.m. and kickoff at 7:00 p.m.
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