The Lakewood Leopards will face off against the North Johnston Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Lakewood gave up the first points last Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They pulled ahead with a 27-26 photo finish over Red Springs. The 27-point effort marked the Leopards' lowest-scoring match of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Nakai Owens was the offensive standout of the contest as he rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown on only five carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Lakewood was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 205 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 205 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.
Lakewood wouldn't let Red Springs keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Lakewood can thank Reed Ammons and Dashaun Carr for forcing both of them.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask North Johnston). They put the hurt on Hobbton with a sharp 56-34 win on Friday. With the Panthers ahead 36-13 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Kaleb Pone continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, throwing for 286 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 11.4 yards per attempt, and also rushing for 185 yards and a touchdown while picking up 9.7 yards per carry. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 110.8 rushing yards per game.
Lakewood's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-1. As for North Johnston, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Lakewood has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 245.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like North Johnston struggles in that department as they've been averaging 205. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Lakewood took their victory against North Johnston in their previous matchup back in September of 2023 by a conclusive 28-8. Does Lakewood have another victory up their sleeve, or will North Johnston turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
