Two dominant backs in A'Merre Williams and Anthony Jeffery are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Burke County Bears will be playing in front of their home fans against the Thomson Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Burke County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They put the hurt on Laney with a sharp 49-28 victory. Winning may never get old, but the Bears sure are getting used to it with their ninth in a row.
Burke County relied on the efforts of Williams, who rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 carries, and Sean Vandiver, who rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries. Those 122 rushing yards gave Vandiver a new career-high.
Burke County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 312 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 298 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Thomson made easy work of Hapeville Charter on Friday and carried off a 41-21 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldogs.
Thomson relied on the efforts of Jeffery, who rushed for 266 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 8.3 yards per carry, and Jaris Sinkfield, who rushed for 200 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries. Sinkfield really tore up the turf during one magnificent 76-yard run. Markevion Jones got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Thomson didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kennedi Bailey and Jones.
Burke County's victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-1. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 28.4 points. As for Thomson, their win bumped their record up to 9-3.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Burke County has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 245.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Thomson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 244.9. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Burke County beat Thomson 47-35 in their previous meeting on November 8th. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Jeffery, who rushed for 179 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Burke County still be able to contain Jeffery? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
