Football Preview: Norcross Blue Devils vs. Peachtree Ridge Lions
The Norcross Blue Devils will head out on the road to take on the Peachtree Ridge Lions at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Friday, Norcross strolled past Duluth with points to spare, taking the game 35-21. Given the Blue Devils' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 23rd, while the Wildcats are ranked 120th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jahsaun Clarke continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 226 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries, while also throwing for 28 yards and two touchdowns. His longest rush was for an impressive 64 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another player making a difference was Kobe Robinson, who rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Norcross was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 304 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Norcross' defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Jordan Maduro. He is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season. Esias Tompkins was another major factor on D, making 12 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Peachtree Ridge never let their opponents score on Friday. They blew past Meadowcreek 71-0 at home. The Lions' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Darnell Kelly was his usual excellent self, throwing for 120 yards and three touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes, and also rushing for 31 yards and two touchdowns. Sedric Addison also helped with two touchdowns in total.
The win made it two in a row for Norcross and bumps their season record up to 3-1. As for Peachtree Ridge, the victory also got them back to even at 2-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. Norcross has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 189.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Peachtree Ridge, though, as they've been averaging only 84.8. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Norcross strolled past Peachtree Ridge in their previous meeting back in October of 2023 by a score of 35-17. The rematch might be a little tougher for Norcross since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
