Football Preview: Bertie Falcons vs. Tarboro Vikings
Bertie hasn't had much luck against Tarboro recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bertie Falcons will play host again on Friday to welcome the Tarboro Vikings, where kickoff is scheduled at 7:00 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Last Friday, Bertie was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 12-8 to Martin County. The match marked the Falcons' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Meanwhile, Tarboro has relied on a stalwart defense averaging 12.2 points allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Thursday. They lost 47-23 to Havelock. That makes it the first time this season the Vikings have let down their home crowd.
Despite the defeat, Tarboro got top-tier performance from Kamerin Mcdowell-Moore, who rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries, and also picked up 60 receiving yards. Mcdowell-Moore's longest rush was for an impressive 62 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another rusher making a difference was Mason Satterfield, who rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Tarboro was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 255 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Havelock only rushed for 109.
Tarboro's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Mcdowell-Moore and Caiden Everette.
Bertie now has a losing record at 2-3. As for Tarboro, their loss ended an 11-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Bertie has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 157.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Tarboro struggles in that department as they've been averaging 281.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Bertie was taken down by Tarboro 49-6 when the teams last played back in September of 2023. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point Bertie was down 49-6.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
