A classic North v. South matchup is on the schedule. After each having a week off, the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability Spartans and the Northern Durham Knights will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Southern School of Energy and Sustainability is coming into the matchup on a four-game losing streak.
Last Friday, Southern School of Energy and Sustainability was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 18-14 to Northeast Guilford. The Spartans gained 176 more yards on the day, but it was the Rams that made the best use of them.
Despite the loss, Southern School of Energy and Sustainability had strong showings from Jonathan Dillon, who rushed for 75 yards and one touchdown on only nine carries, and Kamari Holloway, who rushed for 134 yards while picking up 8.4 yards per carry.
Southern School of Energy and Sustainability didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Lance Henderson and Jayden Bowman. Kye Johnson was another major factor on D, picking up two sacks and making nine total tackles.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Northern Durham, who bounced back after a loss on the road on September 12th. They took their contest last Friday with ease, bagging a 50-0 victory over Triangle Math & Science. Considering the Knights' offense had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Northern Durham's win came from a few key players Southern School of Energy and Sustainability will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Amir Liles, who threw for 100 yards and a pair of TDs, and also rushed for 50 yards. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in passer rating (177.1).
Northern Durham was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 248 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Northern Durham, racking up 12 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Ja'Carreis Jones, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Northern Durham's record now sits at 2-3. As for Southern School of Energy and Sustainability, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's game: Southern School of Energy and Sustainability has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 394.4 total yards per game. It's a different story for Northern Durham, though, as they've been averaging only 182.2 total yards. Will Southern School of Energy and Sustainability be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will the Knights flip the script?
Everything came up roses for Southern School of Energy and Sustainability against Northern Durham in their previous matchup back in September of 2022, as the squad secured a 38-6 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Spartans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
