Football Game Preview: Athens Drive Jaguars vs. Broughton Capitals + How To Watch

Athens Drive hasn't had much luck against Broughton recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Jaguars will be playing at home against the Capitals at 7:00 p.m. Athens Drive has given up an average of 45.9 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Athens Drive's offense might be in the hot seat on Friday considering what happened against Rolesville on Friday. They were outmatched by the Rams and fell 74-0. While losing is never fun, the Jaguars can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 279th, while the Rams are ranked 15th).

Meanwhile, after only seven points in their last contest, Broughton made sure to put some points up on the board against Wakefield on Friday. The Capitals blew past the Wolverines, posting a 42-14 win. The Capitals' offense checked out after the first half but had enough points banked to take the game anyway.

Athens Drive better keep an eye on Xavier Howard. He was instrumental in Broughton's win, rushing for 87 yards and three TDs on only seven carries, while also catching one touchdown. Howard is becoming a predictor of the Capitals' success: when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns the team is undefeated (and 0-4 when he doesn't). Austin Youngs was another key player, rushing for 64 yards and one score.

The victory got Broughton back to even at 4-4. As for Athens Drive, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-8.

Athens Drive came up short against Broughton when the teams last played back in October of 2024, falling 34-24. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Howard, who rushed for 166 yards and three TDs on only 14 carries, and also caught one touchdown. Now that the Jaguars know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.