The Central Lions will square off against the Northside Patriots at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Central has nine straight victories, Northside has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Friday, Central really took it to Griffin for the full four quarters, racking up a 56-21 win. Considering the Lions have won seven contests by more than 34 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
JR Harris
| 10/24/25 @ Griffin | 5 |
| 10/17/25 @ Harris County | 3 |
| 10/03/25 vs Starr's Mill | 4 |
| 09/25/25 @ Jonesboro | 2 |
| 09/19/25 vs Mundy's Mill | 3 |
| + 4 more games |
A big part of Central's victory came down to the chemistry between JR Harris and his top target Avery Tanner. Harris threw for 230 yards and five TDs while completing 76.2% of his passes while Tanner picked up 86 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Thanks to that big game, Harris is now up to 28 passing touchdowns on the season.
Meanwhile, Northside had to suffer through a 49-14 loss at the hands of Jonesboro. While losing is never fun, the Patriots can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 281st, while the Cardinals are ranked 95th).
Central will have to keep a close watch on Alex Tarboro and Jai Jackson, a pair of players who had a big impact on Northside's prior game. Tarboro rushed for 159 yards and one score, while Jackson rushed for 120 yards.
Northside's defeat dropped their record down to 2-7. As for Central, their win bumped their record up to 9-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Central has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 206.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Northside struggles in that department as they've been averaging 235.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Central against Northside when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 38-7 victory. In that contest, the Lions amassed a halftime lead of 28-7, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
