Preview: Port Jervis Raiders vs. Marlboro Central Dukes
The Port Jervis Raiders will take on the Marlboro Central Dukes at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Port Jervis came tearing into Friday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 36 points) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past Highland 72-3 at home. With Port Jervis ahead 53-3 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Dylan Fox and Anthony Theodore were among the main playmakers for Port Jervis as the former threw for 214 yards and four touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes and the latter gained 262 total yards and four touchdowns. Carroll Dolshun was another key contributor, gaining 72 total yards and three touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Port Jervis' defense and their five sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Dolshun and Ivan Figueroa who racked up four sacks between them.
Meanwhile, Marlboro Central owes their defense a big pat on the back after their performance on Friday. They blew past Saugerties 20-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Marlboro Central.
Ryan Durling was the offensive standout of the game as he rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns.
Port Jervis has yet to lose a matchup at home this season, leaving them with a 7-2 record. They've been dominating during the matchups in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 38.67 points. As for Marlboro Central, their win bumped their record up to 7-2.
Saturday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Port Jervis has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 244.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Marlboro Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 166.6 per game. It's looking like Saturday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Everything came up roses for Port Jervis against Marlboro Central when the teams last played back in November of 2022 as the team secured a 27-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Port Jervis since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
