Pinewood Prep is 7-2 against Northwood Academy since August of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Panthers will challenge the Chargers at 7:30 p.m.
Pinewood Prep is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Wilson Hall just ended the team's four-game winning streak last Friday. They fell 28-21 to the Barons.
Jayden Alexander
| 09/12/25 @ Camden Military | 151 |
| 10/03/25 @ Wilson Hall | 115 |
| 09/19/25 vs Laurence Manning Academy | 109 |
| 09/05/25 vs Trinity Collegiate | 95 |
| 09/26/25 vs Hilton Head Christian Academy | 71 |
Despite their loss, Pinewood Prep saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Silas Brawner, who threw for 249 yards and two TDs while completing 75% of his passes, was perhaps the best of all. 115 of Brawner's passing yards were hauled in by Jayden Alexander, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Meanwhile, Northwood Academy had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 34.3 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They blew past the Cyclones 34-7. Considering the Chargers have won six matchups by more than 26 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Pinewood Prep better keep an eye on Kaven Ford. He was instrumental in Northwood Academy's win, rushing for 200 yards and three scores while picking up 11.1 yards per carry. Those 200 rushing yards gave Ford a new career-high. Michael Polite was another major influence, as he rushed for 83 yards and ran in a TD.
Northwood Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 312 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 170 rushing yards in four consecutive games.
One reason for the win was Northwood Academy's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. In that department, Antwaun Henderson was the leader with two.
Pinewood Prep's defeat dropped their record down to 5-2. As for Northwood Academy, their record now sits at 7-1.
The upcoming contest will be a clash of competing strengths. Pinewood Prep has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 272.9 passing yards per game. Northwood Academy, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 218.8 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Pinewood Prep couldn't quite finish off Northwood Academy in their previous meeting back in August of 2024 and fell 24-21. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
