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Reagan is 9-1 against R.J. Reynolds since November of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Raiders will face off against the Demons at 7:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Reagan 12.5, R.J. Reynolds 13.3) so any points scored will be well earned.
Reagan is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They came out on top against Northwest Guilford by a score of 41-28 on Friday. Given the Raiders' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 27th, while the Vikings are ranked 122nd) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
John Evans Jr.
| 10/03/25 vs Northwest Guilford | 126 |
| 09/19/25 @ Lake Norman | 190 |
| 09/12/25 vs Northern Guilford | 148 |
| 09/05/25 vs Reidsville | 181 |
Reagan found their leader in sophomore John Evans Jr., who rushed for 126 yards and two TDs on only 15 carries. Evans Jr.'s rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 126 rushing yards. Another player making a difference was Jacob Smith, who punched in one rushing score.
Meanwhile, R.J. Reynolds strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They took down Parkland 22-6.
Reagan better keep an eye on Antonio Samuels. He was instrumental in R.J. Reynolds' win, rushing for 129 yards and one score while picking up 8.1 yards per carry, and also catching one touchdown.
R.J. Reynolds didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Parkland to a completion percentage of just 30.4%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from four players: De'Reon Watson, Jaden Wilson, Kevin Baker, and Tim Martin, who each logged one passes deflected. R.J. Reynolds hasn't an opponent to post a completion percentage of 0.53 or higher in three consecutive contests.
R.J. Reynolds didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Baker, Martin, and Everett Smart picked up one apiece. That interception was Martin's first of the season. Another thorn in Parkland's side was Watson, who made ten total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended one pass.
Reagan's record now sits at 5-1. As for R.J. Reynolds, their record is now 6-0.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Evans Jr. and Samuels. Evans Jr. just won't slow down this season and has run in 10 touchdowns while averaging 165.7 rushing yards per game. Samuels has been a dominant force too and has run in 11 touchdowns while averaging 147.5 rushing yards per game.
Everything came up roses for Reagan against R.J. Reynolds in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 44-0 victory. Do the Raiders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Demons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
