Grimsley has won 18 straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Rolesville has won 18 straight on the road also dating back to last season, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Grimsley Whirlies will be home for the holidays to greet the Rolesville Rams at 7:00 p.m. Grimsley knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past 15 matchups -- so hopefully Rolesville likes a good challenge.
Grimsley is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They came out on top against Weddington by a score of 35-23. 35 seems to be a good number for the Whirlies as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of points in their previous game.
Grimsley's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kaden Catoe, who picked up 188 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Catoe showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 55 yards. Mitchell Summers was in the mix too, providing Grimsley with two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Rolesville faced Cardinal Gibbons in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. Rolesville walked away with a 38-31 win over Cardinal Gibbons. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Rams, who until this contest were averaging 11.67 points allowed.
Grimsley better keep an eye on Braden Atkinson. He was instrumental in Rolesville's win, throwing for 304 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 14.5 yards per attempt. What's more, Atkinson also racked up 14 rushing yards, the most he's had since back in September of 2023. Jaedon Alford was Atkinson's top target, picking up 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Rolesville's victory bumped their record up to 14-1. As for Grimsley, their win bumped their record up to 15-0.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Grimsley has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 244.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Rolesville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 150.7 rushing yards. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Grimsley strolled past Rolesville in their previous matchup back in August by a score of 35-20. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Rolesville's Amir Brown, who rushed for 97 yards and one touchdown on only 13 carries, and also picked up 50 receiving yards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Grimsley still be able to contain Brown? There's only one way to find out.
