Starmount is on a eight-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Mount Airy is on a eight-game streak of away wins (also dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Starmount Rams will host the Mount Airy Granite Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mount Airy's offense is going to have their work cut out for them on Friday: Starmount hadn't allowed a single point the last four times they've hit the field. Starmount blew past Alleghany 49-0 on the road on Friday. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 125th, while the Trojans are ranked 294th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Luke Collins continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, throwing for 213 yards and three touchdowns while completing 84.6% of his passes, and also rushing for 35 yards and a touchdown. He didn't just play on offense: he also made five total tackles and defended a pass in addition to snagging an interception which he returned for a touchdown. Another player making a difference was Kinston Crater, who gained 80 total yards and a touchdown.
Starmount wouldn't let Alleghany keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Starmount can thank Brayden Cass and Sam Shore for forcing both of them.
Meanwhile, Mount Airy got themselves on the board against North Stokes on Friday, but North Stokes never followed suit. They blew past the Vikings, posting a 55-0 victory at home. That 55 point margin sets a new team best for the Granite Bears this season.
Taeshon Martin was his usual excellent self, rushing for 116 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 116 rushing yards dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of DJ Joyce, who rushed for 44 yards and two touchdowns.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Mount Airy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 316 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 206 rushing yards in 21 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Mount Airy's defense and their four sacks. In that department, Joyce was the leader with two.
Starmount's win bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Mount Airy, their victory bumped their record up to 5-0.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Starmount has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 253.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mount Airy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 350.8. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Starmount was taken down by Mount Airy 47-15 in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. Thankfully for Starmount, Tyler Mason (who rushed for 152 yards and four touchdowns on only 14 carries) 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
