The East Burke Cavaliers will take on the R-S Central Hilltoppers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
East Burke is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They really took it to West Caldwell for the full four quarters, racking up a 48-8 victory. The Cavaliers haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Carter Bennett
| 10/03/25 @ West Caldwell | 143 |
| 08/29/25 @ Foard | 97 |
| 09/19/25 vs Patton | 91 |
| 09/26/25 @ Hibriten | 24 |
| 11/09/24 vs Bandys | 24 |
Carter Bennett was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 143 yards and a pair of scores, and also threw for 106 yards on 11 of 16 attempts. Those 143 rushing yards gave him a new career-high.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for R-S Central against Patton on Friday as the squad secured a 56-7 victory. That looming 56-7 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Hilltoppers yet this season.
R-S Central's win came from a few key players East Burke will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Rylan Holley, who rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries, and also threw for 133 yards and a pair of TDs on only ten passes. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 103.2 rushing yards per game. Another player making a difference was Jakis Smith, who rushed for 108 yards and one score on only 11 carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: R-S Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 370 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 172 rushing yards in seven consecutive contests dating back to last season.
R-S Central didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Tyler Partridge, Hezekiah Joiner, and Elmer Littlejohn picked up one apiece. Joiner has become a key player for R-S Central: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least one interception, but 1-2 otherwise.
The win got R-S Central back to even at 3-3. As for East Burke, they picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 2-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. East Burke has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 162.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like R-S Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 259.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
East Burke was dealt a bruising 42-7 loss at the hands of R-S Central in their previous matchup back in October of 2016. Will the Cavaliers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
