On Friday, Aquinas (2-1, 1-0) will travel down Washington Road to face undefeated Westside (4-0, 2-0) in a key Region 4-AAA matchup Friday night.
It’s our staff’s pick for high school football game of the week, and it has tons of implications for both squads.
While the Fightin’ Irish enjoyed a bye week last Friday, the Patriots secured their first 4-0 start in more than a decade.
It sets up for a potentially classic matchup between two of the top teams in what is starting to look like a very competitive Region 4-AAA race.
Let’s take a deeper look at this Friday’s important clash.
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Westside’s undefeated run
As stated, Westside is coming into the game with an undefeated 4-0 record, which is the first time it has started a season 4-0 since 2002.
Coach Lee Hutto credits the team’s early success to the presence of experienced upperclassmen, unlike in previous years where there was not much experience on the field for the Patriots.
“The last few years have been a struggle,” Hutto said. “Those kids have been in our program for a few years now, they have matured a lot over the years.”
Westside enters this game following a 34-14 region win against Hepzibah (1-3, 0-2), its first victory over the Rebels since 2016. Jeanarion Kamga totaled over 200 all-purpose yards with three rushing touchdowns, while JC Crawford had two rushing touchdowns of his own.
“This win means a lot because it’s a big region game for us,” said Hutto. “Being 2-0 in the region is huge and puts us in a strong position moving forward.”
Kamga heads into Friday’s game averaging 114 rushing yards per game, with six touchdowns so far this season. He has exceeded 140 rushing yards in each of the Patriots’ last two games.
Hutto calls Kamga their top offensive weapon, noting he reached 1,500 rushing yards last season despite the Patriots’ 4-6 record.
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“He [Kamga] had a slow start at the beginning of this season, but he’s back on track now,” Hutto said. “He is our guy, and we are going to depend on him as much as we can.”
A key difference in this year’s Westside team is the experience and strength of its offensive line. Hutto credits the offensive line with the ability to get the offense, and Kamga, going.
“We are senior heavy across the front, and it is showing,” Hutto said. “We can hang our hat on how physical they have been to start this season. They are the strength of our football team.”
Heading into the game against Aquinas, the Patriots are facing a type of offense that they have not seen this year. Aquinas is coming into the matchup averaging 130 yards through the air, and just under 200 yards on the ground.
The Patriots have yet to face a team this season that’s averaged over 100 yards per game both through the air and on the ground. Hutto is aware of Aquinas’ fast-paced offense and is preparing his team accordingly.
“It’s going to be a different game than any we have played so far,” Hutto said. “They have an excellent quarterback in [Jim] Franklin, a really good receiver, and [Christian] Kates has had a few good games at running back.”
Hutto is not shying away from their run-heavy style of offense despite the Aquinas defense led by sophomore defensive end Jaden Wuerth, who is coming off an injury and is likely to return this week.
“Coach Leonard will have them coached up,” Hutto said. “It’s going to be a tough football game, and we have to play our style, which is to grind them out and eat some clock to keep the ball out of their hands.”
Aquinas’ bye week return
Aquinas heads into Friday night’s game with a 2-1 record, with its only loss coming in the season opener against undefeated Athens Academy on Aug. 16. The Fightin’ Irish, fresh off a bye week, are looking to build on their 22-14 victory over Hephzibah, where they racked up 262 yards on the ground. However, their passing game struggled in that matchup.
Coach James Leonard recognized the issue and spent the bye week working to fix it.
“We have to do a better job of throwing and catching the ball,” Leonard said. “We’re focusing on getting back to the basics of our offensive strengths.”
Defensive focus for Aquinas
Leonard is also seeking improvements on defense, specifically stopping plays behind the line of scrimmage.
“We’ve been playing great defense, but there’s always room to improve,” he said. “We need to get better at tackles for losses instead of letting guys drag us for five or six yards.”
While many fans are focused on Westside’s explosive run game, Leonard’s attention is on the strength of the Patriots’ defense. Westside’s surrendering just eight points per game with no team scoring more than 14 points against the Patriots so far this season.
“This is by far the best defense we’ve faced all season,” Leonard said. “We know it’s going to be a fight, so we have to be firing on all cylinders.”
Jim Franklin leads the Aquinas offense
The Aquinas offense is led by 6-foot-4 quarterback Jim Franklin Jr., a Davidson commit, who’s averaging 130 passing yards per game this season—well below his 224-yard average from last year. Junior receiver Jack Rhodes has been his top target, with 143 receiving yards and two touchdowns so far this season.
As the passing game has slowed, junior running back Christian Kates has picked up the slack. Kates entered the Hephzibah game averaging 79 rushing yards per game but exploded for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries last Friday against the Rebels.
Injury bug
On defense, Aquinas has been missing standout sophomore defensive end Jaden Wuerth, who has been sidelined for two weeks. Through just two games, Wuerth has totaled 35 tackles and two sacks. His return for Friday night is still uncertain.
“Jaden should be back, but we’re not certain yet,” Leonard said. “We’ll see how he progresses throughout the week.”
Focus on Toughness
Beyond just technical adjustments, Leonard believes his team needs to reclaim the tough, gritty identity that has defined Aquinas football in the past.
“For 12 years, we built our success by out-toughing teams,” Leonard said. “We need to get back to that old-school toughness. We focused on that during the bye week, and I feel like we’re turning the corner.”
In Leonard’s eyes, Aquinas and Westside are the top teams in Region 4-AAA.
“They’re a roadblock we have to get through,” Leonard said. “We’re going to try and light up the scoreboard, but Westside won’t make it easy.”
