Preview: Middle Creek Mustangs vs. Laney Buccaneers
The Middle Creek Mustangs will head out on the road to face off against the Laney Buccaneers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Middle Creek put the finishing touches on their fourth blowout victory of the season on Friday. They took their contest at home with ease, bagging a 57-8 victory over Cary. Given Middle Creek's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 95th, while Cary is ranked 298th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Middle Creek's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Michael Beatty, who rushed for 127 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 carries. Beatty was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 61 yards. Braylon Stewart did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 181 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Laney had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 42.3 points), and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They strolled past Topsail with points to spare, taking the game 26-12.
It was another big night for Tyjhere Crudup, who rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.4 yards per carry. Crudup is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last three games he's played. Kolbe Little was another key contributor, throwing for 290 yards and a touchdown while completing 76.3% of his passes.
Middle Creek's victory was their fourth straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 6-4. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 51.8 points per game. As for Laney, their victory bumped their record up to 8-2.
Everything came up roses for Middle Creek against Laney in their previous matchup back in November of 2017 as the squad secured a 43-6 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Middle Creek since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
