St. David and Rocky Mount Academy are an even 5-5 against one another since October of 2015, but not for long. The St. David's Warriors will take on the Rocky Mount Academy Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
St. David's is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of North Carolina's top teams: Halifax Academy, who was ranked fourth in their home state at the time (St. David's was ranked seventh). St. David's took a 42-35 hit to the loss column at the hands of Halifax Academy on Friday.
Despite the loss, St. David's had strong showings from Benjamin Young Iii, who rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries, and Hutch Marshall, who picked up 144 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Young Iii's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 131 rushing yards dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Rocky Mount Academy got themselves on the board against Liberty Christian Academy on Friday, but Liberty Christian Academy never followed suit. They really took it to the Heat for the full four quarters, racking up a 65-0 victory on the road. The Eagles' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Rocky Mount Academy got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Gehrig Miller out in front who rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 101 yards and two touchdowns while completing 77.8% of his passes. Miller was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 56 yards. Another player making a difference was Cam Dawkins, who rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Rocky Mount Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 233 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
St. David's defeat dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Rocky Mount Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 2-4.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's match: St. David's has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 353.4 total yards per game. It's a different story for Rocky Mount Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 248.3. Will St. David's be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will Rocky Mount Academy flip the script?
St. David's was taken down by Rocky Mount Academy 62-19 when the teams last played back in September of 2023. Can St. David's avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
