The Northside - Jacksonville Monarchs will face off against the Dixon Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Northside - Jacksonville will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
If Dixon heads into halftime all tied up, they better play a good second half: that's when Northside - Jacksonville took over last week. The Monarchs enjoyed a cozy 42-28 win over West Carteret on Friday. The game was the first time the Monarchs have beaten the Patriots on their field since August 21, 2015.
Northside - Jacksonville's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but REGINALD GRAY led the charge by throwing for 254 yards and three touchdowns on only 19 passes, while also punching in one score on the ground. RAHLAI ANDERSON helped GRAY out on the ground, rushing for 182 yards and a pair of TDs.
Northside - Jacksonville didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut MATTHEW SMOOT.
Meanwhile, Dixon and Havelock were almost perfectly matched up on Friday, but Dixon suffered a 29-28 defeat. The Bulldogs gained 209 more yards on the day, but it was the Rams that made the best use of them.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in JJ Gulat and Jayden Howard. Howard had a great game and rushed for 142 yards and three scores on only eight carries. Meanwhile, Gulat was balling out in the loss, rushing for 168 yards and three touchdowns.
Northside - Jacksonville's victory bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Dixon, their loss dropped their record down to 5-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Northside - Jacksonville has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 173.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Dixon struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 488.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Northside - Jacksonville against Dixon in their previous meeting back in October of 2016, as the team secured a 34-0 win. Will the Monarchs repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
