Football Game Preview: Newton County Academy Generals vs. Claiborne Academy Rebels

The Newton County Academy Generals will challenge the Claiborne Academy Rebels at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Newton County Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: Ben's Ford Christian, who was ranked ninth in their home state at the time (Newton County Academy was ranked second). The Generals breezed past the Eagles to the tune of 44-14 last Friday. Winning may never get old, but the Generals sure are getting used to it with their fifth in a row.

Newton County Academy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Grady Bergeron.

Meanwhile, Claiborne Academy had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They put the hurt on Delta Academy with a sharp 52-26 win on Friday.

The match pitted two dominant signal callers against one another in Kyler Monk and Bradley Smith. Monk had a great game and threw for 174 yards and five TDs. Meanwhile, Smith was balling out in the loss, throwing for 220 yards and four touchdowns on only 19 passes, while also punching in one rushing score.

On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Claiborne Academy's defense and their six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Monk and Kase Holloway, who racked up 5.5 sacks between them. Claiborne Academy received some extra help from Nate Smith, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Claiborne Academy's victory bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Newton County Academy, their win bumped their record up to 8-1.

Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Newton County Academy has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 358.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Claiborne Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 193.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.