Two dominant in Marti Mcknight and Shiquan Ethridge are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Rocky Mount Academy Eagles will take on the Wayne Christian Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Rocky Mount Academy will be looking to extend their current ten-game winning streak.
It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Rocky Mount Academy had no problem doing just that on Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 56-42 win over Halifax Academy. This was one game where the offenses had no trouble playing at a high level.
Mcknight was his usual excellent self, rushing for 176 yards and four touchdowns on only 14 carries. Rocky Mount Academy also got help from Cooper Epps who showed off his sure hands for 83 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, Wayne Christian put the finishing touches on their ninth blowout victory of the season on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Faith Christian 52-14 on the road. The win was nothing new for Wayne Christian as they're now sitting on ten straight.
Wayne Christian's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Oliver Thomas, who rushed for 197 yards and a touchdown while picking up 9.9 yards per carry. Thomas' longest rush was for an incredible 75 yards. Ethridge was another major influence, as he rushed for 47 yards and ran in a TD.
Their wins bumped Rocky Mount Academy to 10-2 and Wayne Christian to 11-1.
Rocky Mount Academy came out on top in a nail-biter against Wayne Christian in their previous matchup back in September of 2022, sneaking past 42-40. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Wayne Christian's Duke Williams, who gained 133 total yards and a touchdown. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Rocky Mount Academy to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
