New Bern and Jacksonville are an even 4-4 against one another since September of 2014, but not for long. The New Bern Bears will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Jacksonville Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. New Bern will be looking to keep their nine-game home win streak dating back to last season alive.
New Bern gave up the first points last Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They pulled ahead with a 28-27 photo finish over Havelock.
New Bern's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jussan Wiggins, who picked up 57 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Another player making a difference was Terrance Mccormick, who rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Jacksonville aren't just finding success at home, as their game on Friday extended their overall winning streak to three. They really took it to J.H. Rose for the full four quarters, racking up a 53-20 win at home. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Cardinals had established a 32 point advantage.
Demon June went supernova for Jacksonville, rushing for 196 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 carries, while also catching a touchdown. The dominant performance gave June a new career-high in rushing yards. Amare Dorsey was another key player, rushing for 67 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries.
Jacksonville's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Harlem Williams and Jackson Henry.
New Bern's victory bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Jacksonville, their win bumped their record up to 3-0.
Thursday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. New Bern has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 169.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Jacksonville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 226.3. It's looking like Thursday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
New Bern suffered a grim 41-18 defeat to Jacksonville when the teams last played back in September of 2023. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of June, who rushed for 116 yards and four touchdowns on only 12 carries. Now that New Bern knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
