Two dominant backs in Ethen Ringer and Jaxon Covell are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The North East Grape Pickers will host the Titusville Rockets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Having struggled with five losses in a row dating back to last season, North East finally turned things around against Franklin on Saturday. They took their matchup on the road with ease, bagging a 38-7 win over the Knights. The Grape Pickers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
North East found their leader in underclassman Ringer, who rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.6 yards per carry. Bryson Galloway was another key player, rushing for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, North East was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 286 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 152 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Titusville had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 32 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They blew past the Dragons 56-0 at home. The result was nothing new for the Rockets, who have now won four matches by 27 points or more so far this season.
It was another big night for Covell, who rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns on only ten carries, and also picked up 67 receiving yards and a touchdown. The bulk of those receiving yards came from one huge play: a catch that gained an incredible 60 yards. Another player making a difference was Ian Mcdonald, who threw for 235 yards and four touchdowns while completing 81.3% of his passes.
North East's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Titusville, their win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. North East has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 171 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Titusville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 303.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
North East came up short against Titusville in their previous meeting back in September of 2021, falling 28-24. Thankfully for North East, Garrett Knapp (who threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns while completing 88% of his passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
