The White Oak Vikings will head out on the road to challenge the Swansboro Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. White Oak is looking to tack on another W to their six-game streak on the road dating back to last season.
Last Friday, White Oak humbled Northside - Jacksonville with a 48-6 victory. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 109th, while the Monarchs are ranked 228th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Joshua Smith was his usual excellent self, rushing for 144 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: White Oak was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 379 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 198 rushing yards in 15 consecutive games dating back to last season.
White Oak's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Jamison Avila. Another thorn in Northside - Jacksonville's side was Nick Johnson, who picked up two sacks and made seven total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Swansboro was not able to break out of their rough patch last Friday as the team picked up their 13th straight defeat. They were beaten by North Brunswick 56-0.
White Oak's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Swansboro, their loss dropped their record down to 0-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. White Oak has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 359 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Swansboro, though, as they've been averaging only -12.7. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for White Oak against Swansboro in their previous matchup back in October of 2023 as the squad secured a 42-0 victory. Does White Oak have another victory up their sleeve, or will Swansboro turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
