Football Preview: Monroe Area Purple Hurricanes vs. East Hall Vikings
After two games on the road, Monroe Area is heading back home. They will host the East Hall Vikings at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Monroe Area's defense has only allowed 14.5 points per game this season, so East Hall's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Monroe Area is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Hart County just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They took a 28-21 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bulldogs. The loss was the Purple Hurricanes' first of the season.
Monroe Area's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Forrest Ross, who threw for 143 yards and two touchdowns, and Jitt Carr, who gained 148 total yards.
Even though they lost, Monroe Area was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 213 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 154 rushing yards in nine consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, East Hall lost to East Jackson on the road by a 45-27 margin on Friday. The Vikings have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
East Hall might have lost, but man, Jamarcus Harrison was a machine: he rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 9.0 yards per carry, and also threw for 231 yards and a touchdown. The dominant performance gave Harrison a new career-high in rushing yards. Chasen Jones was Harrison's top target, picking up 91 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Having lost for the first time this season, Monroe Area fell to 3-1. As for East Hall, their loss dropped their record down to 3-2.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Monroe Area has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 268 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like East Hall struggles in that department as they've been averaging 219.4. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
