Hammond Central has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. After each having a week off, they and the Merrillville Pirates will shake off the cobwebs and take on one another at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. That contest will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Davion Terry and Cameron Jordan.
Hammond Central is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Hanover Central last Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Hammond Central lost 48-26 to Hanover Central. Despite 65 more yards than the Wildcats, the Wolves couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Hammond Central might have lost, but man, Terry was a machine: he rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 10.1 yards per carry, and also threw for two yards and a touchdown. Terry was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 68 yards. Another player making a difference was Travon McCullough, who gained 159 total yards and two touchdowns.
Even though they lost, Hammond Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 298 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 168 rushing yards in nine consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Merrillville had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24.4 points) and they went ahead and made it six last Friday. They managed a 29-23 victory over the Trojans.
Jordan was his usual excellent self, rushing for 133 yards and four touchdowns. Rynell Lewis did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 102 receiving yards.
Hammond Central has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-6 record this season. As for Merrillville, their win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Hammond Central has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 262.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Merrillville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 198.7. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Hammond Central was taken down by Merrillville 52-8 in their previous matchup back in November of 2022. Thankfully for Hammond Central, Justin Marshall (who picked up 61 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
