The Martin County Gators will take on the Farmville Central Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Martin County's defense has only allowed 13.5 points per game this season, so Farmville Central's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Martin County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They walked away with a 28-20 victory over Wake Prep Academy. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Gators.
Martin County can attribute much of their success to Jordan Matthewson, who rushed for 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only ten carries, and Jah Sheppard, who rushed for 92 yards and one TD.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Martin County proved: they limited Wake Prep Academy to a paltry two yards per carry. While three picked up at least seven total tackles, Matthewson stood above the rest. He rushed for 80 yards and a pair of scores on only ten carries. Martin County didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 8.2.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Farmville Central). They took their contest on Friday with ease, bagging a 58-27 win over Louisburg.
Farmville Central's win came from a few key players Martin County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was BJ Gardner, who rushed for 67 yards and two TDs, and also threw for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 13 passes. His passing game has become a key predictor of Farmville Central's success: the team is 4-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 3-4 otherwise. The Jaguars' leading receiver Bryant Dixon was Gardner's top target yet again, picking up 123 receiving yards and two scores, while also punching in one TD on the ground.
Martin County's record is now 8-3. As for Farmville Central, their record now sits at 7-5.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Martin County has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 269.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Farmville Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 249.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
