Mecklenburg County easily dispatched Brunswick last Friday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Phoenix fell just short of the Hopewell Blue Devils by a score of 16-14 on Friday. The Phoenix were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Blue Devils apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in September of 2024.
Mecklenburg County's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Jackson Gray, who rushed for 45 yards and a pair of TDs, and AJ Jones, who rushed for 151 yards while picking up 7.9 yards per carry. Jones also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, forcing one fumble and making six total tackles.
Mecklenburg County didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Alvion Lewis and Semajae Boswell.
Hopewell's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ze'Vion Grammer, who picked up 200 receiving yards and one touchdown. Those 200 receiving yards gave Grammer a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Deshon Bristol, who rushed for 116 yards on only nine carries.
Mecklenburg County's defeat dropped their record down to 1-1. As for Hopewell, the win also got them back to even at 1-1.
Mecklenburg County wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next matchup, a 19-0 loss against Amherst County on the 12th. As for Hopewell, they will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Thomas Jefferson at 7:00 p.m. on the 19th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
