The Colonia Patriots will head out on the road to square off against the Edison Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 840 yards in their previous games.
Last Friday, Colonia was able to grind out a solid win over Perth Amboy, taking the game 27-20. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' New Jersey football rankings (they are ranked 91st, while the Panthers are ranked 229th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Colonia found their leader in underclassman Kyle Bell, who rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries, and also picked up 95 receiving yards and a touchdown. Those 143 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Bell. Another player making a difference was Dylan Chiera, who threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns.
Colonia's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Jaylen Mcrae. Another thorn in Perth Amboy's side was Julien Jones, who made 14 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Edison had to endure a three-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They strolled past Franklin with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 27-13. The score was all tied up 7-7 at the break, but the Eagles were the (much) better team in the second half.
It was another big night for Nyekir Eato, who rushed for 237 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.5 yards per carry. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards.
Edison was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 390 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Colonia's victory bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Edison, their win bumped their record up to 2-3.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Colonia has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 165.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Edison struggles in that department as they've been averaging 216. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Colonia against Edison when the teams last played back in September of 2021, as the squad secured a 38-7 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Colonia since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
