Preview: West Craven Eagles vs. SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars
West Craven has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against The SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Thursday, West Craven earned a 50-38 win over North Pitt.
West Craven got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was DJ Davis out in front who threw for 235 yards and four touchdowns on only 17 passes. Malik Brown also deserves a shout-out for his three touchdowns.
Meanwhile, SouthWest Edgecombe entered their tilt with Washington with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. SouthWest Edgecombe claimed a resounding 47-10 win over Washington on the road. The result was nothing new for SouthWest Edgecombe, who have now won four matchups by 29 points or more so far this season.
Jhakari Lovely was his usual excellent self, rushing for 179 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries. Lovely was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 50 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Jalen Willoughby, who rushed for 85 yards and three touchdowns.
West Craven's win was their fifth straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 7-2. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 39.6 points per game. As for SouthWest Edgecombe, their victory bumped their record up to 7-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. West Craven has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 175.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like SouthWest Edgecombe struggles in that department as they've been even better at 311.8 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
West Craven strolled past SouthWest Edgecombe in their previous matchup back in October of 2022 by a score of 21-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for West Craven since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
