The Kent Island Buccaneers will face off against the North Caroline Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Kent Island had no problem doing just that on Friday. They claimed a resounding 46-7 victory over Parkside at home. The win made it back-to-back wins for Kent Island.
It was another big night for Shane Bogardus, who rushed for 135 yards and four touchdowns. Bogardus has been hot recently, having posted 100 or more rushing yards the last six times he's played. Another player making a difference was Austin Holland, who rushed for 26 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, North Caroline waltzed into Friday's contest with two straight wins but they left with three. They put the hurt on Wicomico with a sharp 26-6 victory.
North Caroline got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Zymear Smith out in front who gained 108 total yards and a touchdown. Nasai Bell was another key contributor, picking up 24 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The team's defense also helped out by holding Wicomico to a paltry 186 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to North Caroline's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid him out three times before it was all said and done. In that department, Owen Piavis was the leader with two sacks.
Kent Island's win bumped their record up to 8-2. As for North Caroline, they have yet to lose a matchup at home this season, leaving them with a 9-1 record.
Kent Island came up short against North Caroline in their previous meeting back in October, falling 21-14. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of North Caroline's Smith, who rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries, and also picked up 86 receiving yards and a touchdown. Now that Kent Island knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
