Norland has enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The pair have allowed few points on average, (Norland: 12.6, Berkeley Prep: 13.9) so any points scored will be well earned.
Norland had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They blew past Bolles 28-7. Norland might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won nine matches by 21 points or more this season.
Ennio Yapoor and Juan Rodriguez were among the main playmakers for Norland as the former rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on only ten carries and the latter rushed for 251 yards and a touchdown while picking up 9.7 yards per carry. Rodriguez was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 55 yards.
Meanwhile, Berkeley Prep and American Heritage (ranked 48 and 56 in the MaxPreps national rankings respectively) squared off in a high-profile match. Berkeley Prep came out on top in a nail-biter against American Heritage on Friday and snuck past 17-14. Winning may never get old, but Berkeley Prep sure are getting used to it with their ninth in a row.
Berkeley Prep's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Dallas Golden led the charge by rushing for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Norland has yet to lose a game at home this season, leaving them with a 14-0 record. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 40.1 points per game. As for Berkeley Prep, their victory bumped their record up to 12-2.
