Football Game Preview: North Lincoln Knights vs. Newton-Conover Red Devils

The North Lincoln Knights will venture away from home to challenge the Newton-Conover Red Devils at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. North Lincoln is coming into the game on a five-game losing streak.

North Lincoln's last matchup with Hickory could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's matchup on Friday. The Knights were outmatched by the Red Tornadoes and fell 49-6. While losing is never fun, the Knights can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 177th, while the Red Tornadoes are ranked 45th).

Meanwhile, Newton-Conover played in-conference for the first time on Friday and got just the result they were looking for. They won a contest that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by Bandys 36-35.

North Lincoln better keep an eye on Jeremiah Pope. He was instrumental in Newton-Conover's win, rushing for 238 yards and one TD while picking up 13.2 yards per carry. Pope's longest rush was for an incredible 71 yards.

Newton-Conover was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 410 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.

Newton-Conover now has a winning record of 3-2. As for North Lincoln, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. North Lincoln has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 202.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Newton-Conover struggles in that department as they've been averaging 273.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.

North Lincoln couldn't quite get it done against Newton-Conover when the teams last played back in March of 2021 as they fell 27-16. Thankfully for the Knights, Allan Shade ii (who rushed for 203 yards and four scores) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.