Preview: Birmingham Patriots vs. Carson Colts
Birmingham has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will take on the Carson Colts at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
With a playoff game on the line, Birmingham rose to the challenge on Thursday. They really took it to Narbonne for the full four quarters, racking up a 57-19 win at home. Birmingham pushed the score to 43-13 by the end of the third, a deficit Narbonne had little chance of recovering from.
Birmingham got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ronnell Hewitt out in front who rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. Peyton Waters also deserves a shout-out for his two touchdowns.
Another reason for the win was Birmingham's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Bo Tonga and Maynor Morales who racked up 4.5 sacks between them.
Meanwhile, Carson got the win against Granada Hills Charter on Thursday by a conclusive 34-12. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Carson.
It was another big night for Jerry Misaalefua, who rushed for 241 yards while picking up 11.0 yards per carry.
Birmingham has yet to lose a matchup at home this season, leaving them with a 9-2 record. That said, the team wasn't facing the toughest opposition over that stretch, as it included 1-9 Hueneme and 2-9 Taft (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 24.4% over those games). As for Carson, their victory bumped their record up to 10-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's contest: Birmingham has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 167.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Carson struggles in that department as they've been even better at 238.5 per game. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
