The Northside - Jacksonville Monarchs will head out to challenge the Croatan Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Northside - Jacksonville sitting on three straight victories and Croatan on six.
Northside - Jacksonville is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past Richlands, posting a 43-3 win. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Monarchs' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 132nd, while the Wildcats are ranked 286th).
Northside - Jacksonville can attribute much of their success to GAVYN DAVIS, who gained 146 total yards and two touchdowns, and RAHLAI ANDERSON, who rushed for 112 yards and a pair of TDs. DAVIS showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 56 yards. REGINALD GRAY was another key player, throwing for 228 yards and two touchdowns on only 16 passes.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Northside - Jacksonville was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 206 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in three consecutive contests.
Northside - Jacksonville didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of ERIC PATRICK and MATTHEW SMOOT.
Meanwhile, Croatan hadn't done well against Havelock recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Cougars came out on top against the Rams by a score of 14-7. Those 14 points were actually the fewest the Cougars have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Croatan's win came from a few key players Northside - Jacksonville will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Andrew Boucher, who rushed for 96 yards and one score, and also picked up 42 receiving yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Croatan's defense and their four sacks. Havelock's QB won't forget Ethan DeMercurio anytime soon given he sacked him three times.
Northside - Jacksonville's record now sits at 4-1. As for Croatan, their record is now 6-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Northside - Jacksonville has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 153.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Croatan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 164.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Northside - Jacksonville against Croatan when the teams last played back in October of 2016, as the team secured a 35-0 victory. Do the Monarchs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
