Five things to know as Polk County makes its 2026 home debut Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Landrum at G.M. Tennant Stadium.
The game will serve as AdventHealth Teammate Appreciation Night. AdventHealth employees and their immediate families will receive free admission by showing an AdventHealth identification badge at the gate.
Last week: Landrum dropped a 28-26 decision at Ninety Six. Polk County suffered a 56-12 loss at Newton-Conover.
Woman-owned, family-run, and just up the road. Skytop Cabinets - custom cabinetry, Polk County.
Home, sweet home: It has been a while since Polk County has had the comforts of G.M. Tennant Stadium.
Friday will end a streak of three consecutive road games for the Wolverines dating back to last season. In fact, seven of Polk County’s past 11 games have been played away from home.
Polk opened this season with trips to Chase and Newton-Conover and will now get a two-game homestand, with Patton set to visit next week.
The Wolverines enter Friday at 0-2, making the return home an opportunity to reset after a difficult opening stretch on the road.
Ground control: There isn’t much mystery about what Landrum wants to do offensively.
The Cardinals have rushed 85 times for 581 yards and six touchdowns through two games while completing 16-of-24 passes for 204 yards.
That means nearly four of every five Landrum offensive plays have been runs.
Sophomore JP Branyon and junior quarterback Ian Patterson have handled almost all of that work. Branyon has carried 43 times for 295 yards and a touchdown, while Patterson has rushed 37 times for 238 yards and five scores.
Together, they’ve accounted for 80 of Landrum’s 85 carries, 533 of its 581 rushing yards and all six of the Cardinals’ rushing touchdowns.
Don’t forget the pass: All of that running doesn’t mean Polk County can ignore Landrum’s passing game.
Patterson has completed 15-of-23 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, with junior Trey Nesbit clearly emerging as his top target.
Nesbit has 12 catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns, accounting for three-fourths of Landrum’s completions and the large majority of its passing yardage.
That creates the challenge for Polk’s defense – devote too much attention to Branyon and Patterson on the ground, and the Cardinals have shown they can create plays through the air.
No rest for the playmakers: Branyon and Patterson aren’t taking many snaps off when Landrum doesn’t have the football.
Branyon also leads the Cardinals with 21 tackles, including three for loss. Patterson is next with 18 tackles and three tackles for loss.
Dallas Collins has added 11 tackles and two interceptions, including a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown in Landrum’s season-opening 32-21 win over Walhalla.
For Polk County, Styler Blackwell is filling a similarly large role. The senior has rushed 22 times for 162 yards through two games and leads the Wolverines with 15 tackles.
Quarterback Brody Wilkins has thrown for 276 yards and four touchdowns, while RJ Simpson and Sawyer Huff have each caught a touchdown pass.
The numbers say Polk, lately Landrum: Friday will renew Polk County’s longest-running non-conference series. It’s also the second most-played series, with Polk County having only played Hendersonville more (37 times).
It will be the 33rd meeting between the schools, with Polk County holding a commanding 23-9 advantage in the all-time series.
The recent results haven’t been nearly as favorable for the Wolverines.
Landrum has won the past two meetings and four of the past six. The most recent matchup came in 2024, when the Cardinals scored on each of their first six possessions in building a 43-6 victory at Tennant Stadium.
