West Laurens Looks for Revenge in Rivalry Game Against Baldwin
The 5-0 West Laurens Raiders will host the 2-2 Baldwin Braves in a Region 4-AAA Rivalry Matchup
DEXTER, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – Week Seven of the high school football season brings a Region 4-AAA rivalry as the undefeated West Laurens Raiders host the Baldwin Braves on Friday night at Raider Field inside Horseshoe Stadium, ‘The Shu’.
West Laurens, 5-0 under fourth-year head coach Kip Burdette, is coming off a five-point region victory over Harlem, a team that beat the Raiders in 2024 and won the region title. After just three wins in his first two seasons, Burdette now has a senior class he has coached all four years, putting them in position to become the first team in program history to start 6-0.
The matchup comes with history. West Laurens defeated Baldwin in last year’s regular-season finale, but the Braves knocked the Raiders out of the playoffs the following week with a two-point win. Baldwin has won five of the last six meetings.
Senior running back Ty Cummings leads the Raiders and has a chance to break the school record for both career touchdowns and yards on Friday. The Georgia Southern commit credits his offensive line, including 6-foot-5 senior tackle Grady Howell, who is also headed to Statesboro.
“This is the closest thing to a rivalry we have this year on our schedule,” Burdette said. “Our kids kind of know each other. We play JV most of the time. Most of them played in middle school. You build those rivalries up over time, and that makes a good rivalry.”
With 20 seniors on the roster, West Laurens has showcased its speed all season. Cummings, sophomore Braylen Robinson, junior Jaden Standley, senior safety Jayce Blash, and senior cornerback Juvon Hill have all been clocked at over 20 miles per hour in games. Plus, Senior linebacker Shannon Adkins has scored multiple defensive touchdowns off turnovers the past two weeks against Harlem and Howard.
Players say revenge is on their minds heading into Friday’s 17th meeting between the schools.
“I just think we already got the fuel,” Adkins said. “They beat us last year. It was a tough loss, put us out of playoffs first round. So I just feel like that’s enough build up for us to come out here and execute.”
Cummings echoed the focus.
“Senior year I know our mentality was to make plays and win games more than we have in the past,” Cummings said. “Too hungry, I’ve been waiting on this since last year. Definitely a rivalry, and they beat us last year. So, it’s personal.”
The Raiders are seeking only their fifth win all-time against Baldwin in the 17th matchup between the programs, when West Laurens hosts Baldwin Friday night. Catch highlights from the game of the week, along with several other games, on The End Zone, on Friday night during 41NBC News at 11 p.m. Tune into pregame coverage live from The Shu during 41NBC News at 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m.
