Two dominant backs in Rahmel Anderson and Myquan Rush-Esdaile are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Lakewood Piners will stay at home for another week and welcome the Barnegat Bengals on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Saturday, Lakewood earned a 35-24 win over Keansburg. With that victory, the Piners brought their scoring average up to 26.8 points per game.
Anderson was his usual excellent self, rushing for 245 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 7.4 yards per carry. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his 14th straight game with at least 106 rushing yards dating back to last season.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Lakewood was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 245 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 158 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, the third road match was the charm for Barnegat, as they earned their first road win of the season. They blew past New Egypt, posting a 47-7 win on the road. That looming 47-7 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Bengals yet this season.
Rush-Esdaile and Jack Haviland were among the main playmakers for Barnegat as the former rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown and the latter threw for 112 yards and two touchdowns while completing 81.8% of his passes. Christopher Santero was another key player, rushing for 62 yards and a touchdown on only five carries.
Barnegat didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Johnnel Johnson and Stephen Griffin.
Lakewood's victory bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Barnegat, their win ended a six-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-3.
Saturday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Lakewood has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 254.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Barnegat struggles in that department as they've been averaging 199.8. It's looking like Saturday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Lakewood took a serious blow against Barnegat in their previous matchup back in October of 2021, falling 48-20. Will Lakewood have more luck at home instead of on the road? 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
