The Bear Grass Charter Bears will head out on the road to take on the Northside - Pinetown Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Bear Grass Charter is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They really took it to North Edgecombe for the full four quarters, racking up a 49-14 win. The Bears' victory was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.
Bear Grass Charter's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Vance Keel led the charge by rushing for 97 yards and two scores on only ten carries, while also picking up 67 receiving yards and one TD. Coby Beck was another key player, rushing for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Bear Grass Charter was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 261 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 172 rushing yards in 14 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Northside - Pinetown's strategy against Hobgood Charter on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Panthers blew the Raiders out of the water with a 48-7 final score. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 151st, while the Raiders are ranked 379th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Bear Grass Charter better keep an eye on Sincere Columbus. He was instrumental in Northside - Pinetown's win, rushing for 152 yards and four TDs on only 12 carries. That's the most rushing touchdowns Columbus has posted since back in November of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Malachi Moore, who rushed for 114 yards and one score on only five carries.
Bear Grass Charter's record now sits at 9-0. As for Northside - Pinetown, their record is now 11-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Bear Grass Charter has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 299.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Northside - Pinetown struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 338.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Bear Grass Charter took a serious blow against Northside - Pinetown in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, falling 49-6. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Bears were down 29-6.
