North Gwinnett has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will head out to square off against the Berkmar Patriots at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. North Gwinnett knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past four matches -- so hopefully Berkmar likes a good challenge.
Last Friday, North Gwinnett got the win against Peachtree Ridge by a conclusive 44-22. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked fifth, while the Lions are ranked 69th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
One reason for the win was North Gwinnett's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for nine sacks. Cole Funderburk and Connor Coxwell were the leaders of the group effort as each produced three apiece. Coxwell is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in the last six games he's played dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Berkmar was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They fell just short of Duluth by a score of 19-16. That makes it the first time this season the Patriots have let down their home crowd.
North Gwinnett pushed their record up to 6-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Berkmar, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.
Everything came up roses for North Gwinnett against Berkmar when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as the squad secured a 48-7 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for North Gwinnett since the team 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
