The Laurel Golden Tornadoes will venture away from home to take on the North Pike Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Laurel gave up the first points on Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They secured a 17-12 W over Natchez. The Golden Tornadoes haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for North Pike, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They strolled past South Jones with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 21-5. The Jaguars' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
A big part of North Pike's win came down to the chemistry between Santonio Washington and his top target Rashad Akerman. Washington rushed for 77 yards and one touchdown while Akerman picked up 84 receiving yards and one score. Those 84 receiving yards gave Akerman a new career-high.
North Pike's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB three times. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Jakobe Barnes, Tayshaun Ross, and D'Everett Collins, who each picked up one sack apiece. North Pike received some extra help from Dee Smith, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
North Pike's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-6. As for Laurel, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-6.
Everything came up roses for Laurel against North Pike when the teams last played back in October of 2018, as the team secured a 40-9 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Jaguars' Alijah Martin, who rushed for 106 yards on only 12 carries, and also threw for 162 yards and one TD. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Golden Tornadoes to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
