The North Gwinnett Bulldogs will take on the Lowndes Vikings at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
North Gwinnett is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 49-16 victory over South Gwinnett. The win was familiar territory for the Bulldogs, who have now won ten matchups in a row.
Kalil Mazone was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 89 yards and a pair of TDs on only eight carries. Elam Rahman was another key player, throwing for 183 yards and two touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: North Gwinnett was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 290 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to North Gwinnett's defense and their four sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lowndes, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in October. They put the hurt on Collins Hill with a sharp 37-16 victory on Friday.
Lowndes' win came from a few key players North Gwinnett will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jayce Johnson, who threw for 131 yards and a pair of TDs, and also rushed for 36 yards and one score. What's more, he racked up 122.7 passer rating, the most he's had since back in September. Ar'Tavian Brown was Johnson's top target, picking up 57 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Lowndes didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Brown and Nicholas Booker. Booker has been hot recently, having also posted at least one defended passe the last four times he's played. Lowndes received some extra help from Damarion Treadwell, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
North Gwinnett's win bumped their record up to 10-1. As for Lowndes, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 10-1.
North Gwinnett might still be hurting after the 49-28 loss they got from Lowndes in their previous meeting back in December of 2019. Thankfully for the Bulldogs, Jacurri Brown (who rushed for 200 yards and two scores while picking up 12.5 yards per carry, and also threw for 168 yards and three TDs) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
