After each having a week off, the Easley Green Wave and the J.L. Mann Patriots will dust off their jerseys to challenge one another at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with five losses in a row dating back to last season, Easley finally turned things around against Wade Hampton last Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Generals 41-14 on the road. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Green Wave considering their seven-point performance the game before.
Jay Stoker was nothing short of spectacular: he threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns while completing 77.8% of his passes, and also rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown. Matthew Hillstock was Stoker's top target, picking up 158 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, J.L. Mann faced Daniel in a battle between two of the state's top teams last Friday. J.L. Mann snuck past Daniel with a 28-23 victory.
J.L. Mann's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Na'Cyus Morrison, who rushed for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Mcleod Darnell was another key player, throwing for 157 yards and a touchdown.
J.L. Mann was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 211 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2023.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to J.L. Mann's defense and their five sacks. Leading the way was Za?Nias Rosemond with two. J.L. Mann got some further help from Wyatt Ward: he made 15 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Easley's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for J.L. Mann, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Friday's match might be decided in the trenches. Easley has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 156.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like J.L. Mann struggles in that department as they've been averaging 161.7. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Easley was taken down by J.L. Mann 49-13 when the teams last played back in September of 2023. Thankfully for Easley, Ethan Anderson (who threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 11.4 yards per attempt) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
