Beaufort Academy has won five straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Thomas Heyward Academy has won five straight on the road also dating back to last season, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Beaufort Academy Eagles will take on the Thomas Heyward Academy Rebels at 7:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Beaufort Academy is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They claimed a resounding 49-0 win over Andrew Jackson Academy. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Nych Underwood and Dietrich Shuford were among the main playmakers for Beaufort Academy as the former gained 122 total yards and four touchdowns and the latter threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns while completing 87.5% of his passes. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Devin Fripp, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Thomas Heyward Academy blew past Carolina Academy, posting a 51-6 win. With the Rebels ahead 38-6 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Tony O'Banner was his usual excellent self, rushing for 129 yards and three touchdowns on only seven carries, while also catching a touchdown. He got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 78 yards. Colton Young was another key player, rushing for 127 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries.
Thomas Heyward Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 330 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 179 rushing yards in four consecutive matches.
Thomas Heyward Academy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Drew Willis and Joshua Gibson.
Beaufort Academy's victory bumped their record up to 7-3. As for Thomas Heyward Academy, their win bumped their record up to 8-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Beaufort Academy has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 258.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Thomas Heyward Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 291.2. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Beaufort Academy came up short against Thomas Heyward Academy in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, falling 41-28. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of O'Banner, who rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries, and also threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns on only eight passes. Now that Beaufort Academy knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
