Football Recap: Vance Keel Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Northwest Halifax + How To Watch

After losing to Northwest Halifax the last time they met, Bear Grass Charter decided to demonstrate that turnabout is fair play. The Bears took down the Vikings 50-32 on Friday. The Bears pushed the score to 44-24 by the end of the third, a deficit the Vikings cut but never quite recovered from.

Vance Keel

Rushing Yards

08/29/25 @ Northwest Halifax	110
08/22/25 vs Wayne Christian	164
11/15/24 vs Pamlico County	107
11/01/24 @ Hobgood Charter	127
10/25/24 @ Columbia	116
10/18/24 @ Mattamuskeet	116

Bear Grass Charter's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Vance Keel led the charge by rushing for 110 yards and two TDs, while also picking up 35 receiving yards. Keel's rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his sixth straight game with at least 107 rushing yards dating back to last season. Connor Clifton was in the mix as well, providing Bear Grass Charter with two touchdowns.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Bear Grass Charter was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 264 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 178 rushing yards in seven consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Several Vikings players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Julius Rook, who rushed for 131 yards and one score on only nine carries. Marsay Edwards also helped out as he racked up 115 rushing yards.

Bear Grass Charter's win was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 2-0. Those road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 47.5 points over those games. As for Northwest Halifax, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-1.

Bear Grass Charter didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 56-24 win against Union on the 5th. As for Northwest Halifax, they will have a little extra prep time after the loss as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on North Edgecombe at 7:00 p.m. on the 12th.