The Starr's Mill Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the North Clayton Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Starr's Mill will be strutting in after a win while North Clayton will be coming in after a defeat.
Last Friday, Starr's Mill got themselves on the board against Riverdale, but Riverdale never followed suit. They really took it to the Raiders for the full four quarters, racking up a 48-0 win at home. Given Starr's Mill's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 96th, while Riverdale is ranked 397th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Starr's Mill's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Andersen Cardoza, who rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown. Tanner Via got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, North Clayton's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fourth straight loss. They lost to Whitewater on the road by a decisive 45-26 margin.
Starr's Mill has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season. As for North Clayton, their defeat was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their overall record down to 4-5.
Everything came up roses for Starr's Mill against North Clayton in their previous meeting back in October of 2022 as the squad secured a 47-6 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Starr's Mill since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
