The East Duplin Panthers are taking a road trip to face off against the Pender Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with East Duplin sitting on three straight wins and Pender on eight.
On Friday, East Duplin earned a 20-13 victory over Clinton. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Panthers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 123rd, while the Dark Horses are ranked 251st).
East Duplin's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Aaron Hall, who picked up 80 receiving yards and one score, and also rushed for 55 yards. Dwayne Davis was another key player, rushing for 58 yards and one touchdown.
East Duplin didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Zachary Ball, Bryson Brown, and Davis picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, Pender humbled South Lenoir with a 44-12 victory. With the Patriots ahead 32-0 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to ZyQuan Murphy and Zeke Williams. Murphy gained 182 total yards and two touchdowns while Williams rushed for 152 yards and one TD on only six carries. Those 152 rushing yards gave Williams a new career-high. Jaheim Lambe did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 101 receiving yards.
Pender was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 443 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 317 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
East Duplin's record now sits at 6-2. As for Pender, their record is now 8-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. East Duplin has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 244.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pender struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 449 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
East Duplin didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Pender in their previous meeting back in September of 2021, but they still walked away with a 48-44 victory. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Patriots have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
