After two games on the road, Merritt Island is heading back home. They will welcome the ED White Commanders at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Merritt Island will head into Friday's game hoping to keep the good times rolling: they proved they can win big last Friday (they won by 39) but on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 26-23 win over St. Cloud. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 143rd, while the Bulldogs are ranked 287th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Delvonte Williams had a dynamite game for Merritt Island, rushing for 176 yards. Another player making a difference was Donterrius Robinson Jr., who picked up 102 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Merritt Island's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Courtland Campbell and Jace Jordan. Jordan is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made seven or more in the last six games he's played dating back to last season.
Merritt Island was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 251 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, ED White waltzed into their contest on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They strolled past the Braves with points to spare, taking the game 21-6.
Joseph Williams was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown, and also picked up 45 receiving yards. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards. ED White also got help from Landon Francis, who showed off his sure hands for 104 receiving yards.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to ED White's defense and their four sacks. Parker's QB won't forget Mark Shiloh anytime soon given he sacked him twice. ED White got some further help from Javon Johnson: he picked up a sack, forced a fumble, and forced a fumble.
Merritt Island's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-1. As for ED White, their win bumped their record up to 3-1.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Merritt Island has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 169.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like ED White struggles in that department as they've been averaging 159.5. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
