Preview: James Island Trojans vs. Lucy Beckham Bengals
James Island has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against The Lucy Beckham Bengals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Friday, James Island never let their opponents score. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Hilton Head Island 38-0 at home. Given James Island's advantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 24th, while Hilton Head Island is ranked 118th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead James Island to victory, but perhaps none more so than Braxton Scott, who rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 195 yards and a touchdown on only 14 passes. James Island also got help from Amontrae Scott who showed off his sure hands for 98 receiving yards.
Another reason for the win was James Island's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Malachi Jefferson and his two sacks.
Meanwhile, Lucy Beckham put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their game on the road with ease, bagging a 35-0 win over Colleton County. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as Lucy Beckham just coasted through the last quarter.
Lucy Beckham got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Charles Byrd out in front who rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Chalmers Ballard, who threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns.
James Island's victory was their ninth straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 9-0. They've been dominating during the games in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 39 points. As for Lucy Beckham, their victory bumped their record up to 8-0.
Keep an eye on the end zone in Friday's game as James Island and Lucy Beckham haven't had much trouble getting there this season. James Island commands a daunting offense this season, having averaged 5.4 touchdowns per game. However, it's not like Lucy Beckham struggles in that department as they've been even better at 5.9 per game. With these two high-octane teams facing off on Friday, fans should be in for an exciting offensive matchup.
James Island took their victory against Lucy Beckham in their previous matchup back in October of 2022 by a conclusive 33-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for James Island since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
