The Manteo Redskins will face off against the Northampton County Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Manteo is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 42 points back in October, they were much more limited against Holmes two weeks ago. They were dealt a 43-7 defeat at the hands of the Aces. The matchup marked the Redskins' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Northampton County walked away with it. They blew past the Devilpups 50-7 on Friday. The Jaguars' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Northampton County found their leader in sophomore Amare Gills, who rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.8 yards per carry, and also caught one TD. Gills has become a key player for the Jaguars: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 0-6 otherwise. William Whitaker also helped with two scores in total.
Northampton County's run defense was locked in: Lejeune could only muster 0.8 yards per carry. The team can thank Ryan Harding for the heroic effort on defense: he. Northampton County's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 3.91 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 8.13 on average over their last five games.
Northampton County didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Whitaker and Forgan Joyner. Another thorn in Lejeune's side was Harding, who picked up two sacks and made nine total tackles.
Northampton County's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-7. The home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 39.3 points over those games. As for Manteo, their loss dropped their record down to 6-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Manteo has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 166.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Northampton County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 167.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
