After putting together its most explosive performance of the season last Friday, West Liberty-Salem will look to carry that momentum into Week 6 when the Tigers travel to Fairbanks for an Ohio Heritage Conference matchup Friday night.
The Tigers enter the contest at 2-2 overall and 1-1 in OHC play, while the Fairbanks Panthers sit at 1-4 overall and 1-1 in conference action. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Fairbanks High School.
West Liberty-Salem enters Friday's matchup with some momentum after rolling past Greenon 47-13 last week. The Tigers' offense came alive in the victory, producing their highest point total of the season while the defense limited Greenon to just 13 points.
The victory was especially important for the Tigers after opening the season with back-to-back losses to Jonathan Alder and Benjamin Logan. WLS responded with a 31-0 shutout of Cedarville, followed by last week's convincing win over Greenon.
Now, the Tigers will look to make it three consecutive victories as they continue through the OHC schedule.
Standing in their way is a Fairbanks team that comes into the matchup with its own reason for confidence.
The Panthers picked up their first win of the season last Friday, shutting out Southeastern 22-0. The victory moved Fairbanks to 1-4 on the season and gave the Panthers their first conference win of the year.
That result means neither team can afford to overlook Friday night's matchup.
Fairbanks has already shown it can put together a strong defensive performance, while West Liberty-Salem enters the contest after scoring 78 points over its last two games.
For the Tigers, the key will be carrying the same offensive rhythm they found against Greenon while avoiding the mistakes that contributed to their early-season losses.
WLS has shown throughout the season that it can generate points in a variety of ways, and last week's 47-point performance provided another glimpse of what the Tigers can accomplish when the offense finds its rhythm.
Meanwhile, Fairbanks will look to make its home field work in its favor and build off the confidence gained from last week's shutout victory.
With both teams sitting at 1-1 in conference play, Friday's matchup also carries added importance as the OHC season reaches its midpoint.
For West Liberty-Salem, the goal is simple: keep the momentum going.
After dropping its first two games, the Tigers have responded with consecutive victories and now have an opportunity to move above .500 for the first time this season.
The Panthers, meanwhile, will attempt to make it two straight wins and turn last week's breakthrough into a winning streak.
One thing is certain heading into Friday night — both teams have plenty to play for.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Fairbanks High School.
