The SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars will take on the West Craven Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as SouthWest Edgecombe comes in on four and West Craven on nine.
SouthWest Edgecombe is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 44-41 victory over East Duplin. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cougars have posted since November 1, 2024.
Andre Downey Jr
| 11/21/25 @ East Duplin | 215 |
| 11/14/25 @ Bunn | 182 |
| 10/30/25 vs North Johnston | 135 |
| 08/29/25 @ Hertford County | 126 |
| 10/17/25 vs Washington | 85 |
It was another big night for Andre Downey Jr, who rushed for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 13 carries, and also picked up 88 receiving yards and one score. Those 215 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Keanaji Hopkins also helped out as he racked up 119 rushing yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: SouthWest Edgecombe was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 355 rushing yards. They are 7-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Meanwhile, West Craven strolled past T.W. Andrews with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 30-14. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 42nd, while the Red Raiders are ranked 148th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
SouthWest Edgecombe better keep an eye on DJ Davis. He was instrumental in West Craven's win, rushing for 73 yards and two TDs, while also throwing for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to West Craven's defense and their 5.5 sacks. Kadyn Seamster was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself. Emmanuel Miller was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks and making nine total tackles (3.5 for loss).
SouthWest Edgecombe's victory bumped their record up to 8-5. As for West Craven, their win bumped their record up to 11-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. SouthWest Edgecombe has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 213.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like West Craven struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 165.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
SouthWest Edgecombe might still be hurting after the 44-19 loss they got from West Craven in their previous meeting back in October. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Davis, who rushed for 165 yards and four scores while picking up 8.3 yards per carry, and also threw for 135 yards and a pair of TDs on only 11 passes. Now that the Cougars know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
