Football Game Preview: Holmes Aces vs. North Duplin Rebels

The Holmes Aces are taking a road trip to face off against the North Duplin Rebels at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Holmes sitting on seven straight victories and North Duplin on six.

Holmes is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 55-16 win over Perquimans. The result was nothing new for the Aces, who have now won six contests by 26 points or more so far this season.

Meanwhile, North Duplin never let their opponents score on Friday. They blew past Southside, posting a 42-0 victory. The Rebels are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the eighth matchup they've won by 20+ points this season.

This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Carell Phillips and Quan Stevens. Phillips rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.9 yards per carry while Stevens rushed for 96 yards and three scores on only seven carries. Those three rushing touchdowns gave Stevens a new career-high.

North Duplin's run defense was locked in: Southside could only muster 2.5 yards per carry. While three picked up at least two total tackles, Stevens stood above the rest. He rushed for 96 yards and three TDs on only seven carries. North Duplin didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.3.

North Duplin's defense didn't let Chance Haywood, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. Brady Kelly was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself.

North Duplin's win bumped their record up to 10-1. As for Holmes, their victory bumped their record up to 7-4.