Two dominant signal callers in Noah Thomas and Aiden Manavian are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Belton-Honea Path Bears will challenge the Oceanside Collegiate Academy Landsharks at 12:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Belton-Honea Path is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 35-7 win over Powdersville. The Bears' victory was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.
It was another big night for Mj Earl, who rushed for 212 yards and four scores while picking up 10.1 yards per carry. He was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 64 yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Belton-Honea Path was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 368 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
Belton-Honea Path didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Jacus Paul, KJ Miles Jr, and Demarion Chester picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, Oceanside Collegiate Academy faced Loris in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Landsharks breezed past the Lions to the tune of 38-7. The contest was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Landsharks had established a 21-point advantage.
Belton-Honea Path better keep an eye on Terence Johnson. He was instrumental in Oceanside Collegiate Academy's win, picking up 139 receiving yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 64 yards and a pair of TDs. That's the most receiving yards Johnson has posted since back in September. Zakhi Muncey was another key player, gaining 99 total yards and a touchdown.
Oceanside Collegiate Academy's win bumped their record up to 12-2. As for Belton-Honea Path, their victory bumped their record up to 14-0.
The upcoming matchup will be a clash of competing strengths. Belton-Honea Path has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 226.1 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Oceanside Collegiate Academy has preferred to attack from the air: they average 294.2 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Belton-Honea Path lost to Oceanside Collegiate Academy on the road by a decisive 35-17 margin in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Landsharks' Manavian, who threw for 326 yards and four touchdowns while completing 80.8% of his passes. Now that the Bears know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
