The Currituck County Knights will square off against the Havelock Rams at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Currituck County had to skate by with only a one-point margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 41-point drubbing they dealt First Flight two weeks ago. The Knights blew past the Nighthawks 48-7. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Nighthawks recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Currituck County's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB 14 times. Dylan Maudlin led the group effort, picking up four of those sacks all by himself. Zion Banks was another major factor on D, picking up a sack, forcing one fumble, and making six total tackles (5.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Havelock had no problem doing just that on Friday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 47-0 win over the Wildcats. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 97th, while the Wildcats are ranked 254th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Havelock's win came from a few key players Currituck County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jayden Howard, who rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries. Havelock is 5-1 when Howard posts 80 or more rushing yards, but 1-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Kaleb Montanye, who threw for 153 yards and a pair of TDs.
Havelock didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Richlands to a completion percentage of just 33.3%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from five players: DaQuarius Dunlap, Jacob Vasquez, Joseph Carter, Jeffrey Jones, and Aluric Jackson, who each logged one passes deflected. Havelock hasn't an opponent to post a completion percentage of 0.52 or higher in four consecutive games.
Havelock didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Lebron Becton and Michael Gatling. Havelock got some further help from Christopher Bispham: he picked up a sack and made ten total tackles (5.0 for loss).
Currituck County's victory bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Havelock, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Currituck County has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 184.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Havelock struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 187.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
