North Stanly is a perfect 6-0 against Union Academy since November of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Comets will be playing at home against the Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
North Stanly is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy, posting a 55-6 victory. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Comets' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 197th, while the Eagles are ranked 401st).
Brady Lowder
| 10/25/25 @ Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy | 30 |
| 10/17/25 vs North Rowan | 10 |
| 10/10/25 @ South Stanly | -21 |
| 10/03/25 vs Albemarle | 12 |
| 09/26/25 @ Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy | 28 |
| + 4 more games |
North Stanly got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Brady Lowder out in front who threw for 165 yards and five touchdowns on only 12 passes, and also rushed for 30 yards. That's the most rushing yards Lowder has posted since back in August. Zay Dockery was another key rusher, rushing for 135 yards and one TD on only six carries.
North Stanly's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB three times. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Jaden Little.
Meanwhile, Union Academy made easy work of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy on Friday and carried off a 45-19 victory.
Union Academy's win came from a few key players North Stanly will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Nico Mendoza, who threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns, and also punched in one rushing score. Union Academy's leading receiver Jaequan Timmons was Mendoza's top target yet again, picking up 94 receiving yards and one score.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Union Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 220 rushing yards. They are a perfect 3-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Union Academy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Lloyd Barnes and Clayton Edwards. Edwards also made four total tackles, which is notable because Union Academy is 4-2 when he posts at least three total tackles, but 0-3 otherwise. John Souza was another major factor on D, forcing one fumble and making 11 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Union Academy's win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 4-5. As for North Stanly, their victory bumped their record up to 8-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. North Stanly has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 231 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Union Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 160.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
North Stanly strolled past Union Academy in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 by a score of 21-7. Do the Comets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cardinals turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
