The Mallard Creek Mavericks will be playing at home against the West Forsyth Titans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Mallard Creek's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed two weeks ago. They blew past Chambers, posting a 31-0 victory. Given the Mavericks' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 13th, while the Cougars are ranked 72nd) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Among those leading the charge was Xavier Edmond, who rushed for 86 yards and one score on only 11 carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Mallard Creek was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 228 rushing yards. They are a perfect 5-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Mallard Creek didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Javian McMullen and Matthew Harris. Harris got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but West Forsyth had no problem doing just that on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 43-7 win over the Vikings. The result was nothing new for the Titans, who have now won eight matchups by 28 points or more so far this season.
West Forsyth's win came from a few key players Mallard Creek will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Mozes Morris, who rushed for 184 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 7.7 yards per carry. He has been hot recently, having also posted two or more rushing touchdowns the last three times he's played. Ja'Mare Shephard was in the mix as well, providing West Forsyth with two touchdowns.
West Forsyth pushed their record up to 9-2 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 8.4 points on average over those games. As for Mallard Creek, their record now sits at 7-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Mallard Creek has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 167.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like West Forsyth struggles in that department as they've been averaging 228.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
