Two dominant backs in Zahmir Mcneil and Emarian Triplett are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. After each having a week off, the Pinellas Park Patriots and the Tarpon Springs Spongers will shake off the cobwebs and challenge one another at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Tarpon Springs is hoping to do what Gibbs couldn't last Friday: put an end to Pinellas Park's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Pinellas Park breezed by Gibbs on the road to the tune of 41-10. Considering the Patriots have won three matches by more than 30 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
It was another big night for Mcneil, who rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 carries. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 146 rushing yards dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Kaiden Nobles, who gained 32 total yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, after a string of nine wins dating back to last season, Tarpon Springs' good fortune finally ran out last Friday. They fell 44-34 to East Lake. Despite 280 more yards than the Eagles, the Spongers couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Tarpon Springs' defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Triplett, who rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and Joaquin Kavouklis, who threw for 331 yards and three touchdowns. With that strong performance, Triplett is now averaging an impressive 110 rushing yards per game. Makih Johnson was Kavouklis' top target, picking up 128 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Even though they lost, Tarpon Springs was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 286 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 178 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.
Pinellas Park's victory bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Tarpon Springs, their loss was their first of the season and also makes their record 4-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Pinellas Park has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 179.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Tarpon Springs struggles in that department as they've been averaging 228. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Pinellas Park was able to grind out a solid win over Tarpon Springs when the teams last played back in September of 2016, winning 25-13. Will Pinellas Park repeat their success, or does Tarpon Springs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
