The St. James Sharks will face off against the Berkeley Stags at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. St. James has given up an average of 35.8 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Last Friday, St. James was beaten by James Island 63-7. While losing is never fun, the Sharks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' South Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 115th, while the Trojans are ranked 19th).
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Berkeley, who bounced back after a loss on the road on September 5th. They took their game two weeks ago with ease, bagging a 39-0 victory over West Ashley. That 39 point margin sets a new team best for the Stags this season.
Berkeley's win came from a few key players St. James will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jonathan Mitchell, who rushed for 60 yards and one touchdown. He showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 60 yards. Another player making a difference was K'Den Foxworth, who rushed for 113 yards on only 12 carries.
Berkeley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 399 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 184 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Berkeley's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Jahmir Heyward, Landon Jackson, and Marcus Henderson, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Berkeley's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for St. James, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.
St. James was dealt a bruising 43-7 defeat at the hands of Berkeley when the teams last played back in September of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Sharks were down 43-0.
