Football Preview: Harnett Central Trojans vs. Terry Sanford Bulldogs
Two dominant signal callers in Koby Howard and Jacob Moore are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Harnett Central Trojans will welcome the Terry Sanford Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Harnett Central comes in on five and Terry Sanford on three.
Last Friday, Harnett Central got the win against E.E. Smith by a conclusive 35-12. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won three matches by 23 points or more so far this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Harnett Central to victory, but perhaps none more so than Howard, who threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns. Howard is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season. Landon Culbreth was Howard's top target, picking up 58 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Harnett Central didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Nolan Bullock, Dj Brown, and Charlie Stedman picked up one apiece.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 11 points in total. All came courtesy of Axel Castro-Ceullar: he went 3-for-3 kicking field goals for nine points, and 2-for-2 kicking extra points for an additional two.
Meanwhile, Terry Sanford strolled past Pine Forest with points to spare on Thursday, taking the game 28-14.
Moore was his usual excellent self, rushing for 129 yards on only nine carries, while also throwing for 162 yards and two touchdowns. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 103.5 rushing yards per game. Another player making a difference was Kylee Thames, who rushed for 77 yards on only eight carries.
Another reason for the win was Terry Sanford's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Justice Clifton was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up twohimself. Another thorn in Pine Forest's side was Troy Shannon, who made nine total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Terry Sanford was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 279 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 203 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Harnett Central pushed their record up to 5-1 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. As for Terry Sanford, their win bumped their record up to 4-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Harnett Central has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 149.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Terry Sanford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 231.7. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Harnett Central might still be hurting after the 43-22 loss they got from Terry Sanford when the teams last played back in November of 2023. Can Harnett Central avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
