The Martin County Gators are taking a road trip to challenge the Washington County Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Martin County has five straight victories, Washington County has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Martin County's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They put the hurt on Gates County with a sharp 25-0 win. Considering the Gators have won three matches by more than 24 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
It was another big night for Jah Sheppard, who rushed for 173 yards and four touchdowns on only 15 carries. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 2.2 rushing touchdowns per game.
Martin County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 222 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 185 rushing yards in five consecutive games.
Martin County didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kel'Javious Moore and Jordan Matthewson. Moore is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made nine or more in the last six games he's played dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, a victory for Washington County just wasn't in the cards on Friday as the team wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They took a blow against Perquimans, falling 46-12. The Panthers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 32-6.
Although Washington County took the loss, they still got scores from Zedakiah Simpson and Ja Quay Brown.
Even if they lost, Washington County's defensive line still kept up the pressure with five sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Franklin Stevens and Brandon Spruill, who racked up four sacks between them.
Martin County's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Washington County, their loss dropped their record down to 2-4.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: Martin County has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 353.8 total yards per game. It's a different story for Washington County, though, as they've been averaging only 179.2. Will Martin County be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will Washington County flip the script?
Martin County won a contest that couldn't have been any closer in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, slipping by Washington County 35-34. The rematch might be a little tougher for Martin County since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
