Aiken football beats rival South Aiken for the first time in over a decade at home

Aiken snapped a long-running home losing streak against rival South Aiken with a 46-28 victory on Oct. 30. The Hornets, who had not beaten the T-Breds since 2015, had come close in recent years, including a 42-41 loss in 2023. Aiken opened with a 64-yard touchdown pass from Tarrant McKenzie to quarterback Tanner Padgett, then added another scoring strike on a 27-yard pass to Michael Francis. Kyson McLeod cut the deficit with a 65-yard touchdown late in the first quarter. After halftime, Aiken pulled away with an early third-quarter score and a pick-six by Jayden Barrell, extending its lead to 18 points.