A classic North v. South is on the schedule. The North Stars will host the South Spartans at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with four defeats in a row, North finally turned things around against East Bakersfield on Friday. They walked away with a 14-6 victory over the Blades.
North relied on the efforts of Justin Lewis, who rushed for 109 yards, and Bradley Dockery, who rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns. Dockery is becoming a predictor of North's success: when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns the team is 2-1 (and 1-4 when he doesn't).
Meanwhile, South had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17.2 points) and they went ahead and made it six on Friday. They claimed a resounding 35-6 win over the Lions at home. Considering the Spartans have won four contests by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Anthwone Jones had an outrageously good game as he picked up 125 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown. The bulk of those receiving yards came from one huge play: a catch that gained an incredible 87 yards. Another player making a difference was Josh Encinas, who threw for 171 yards and a touchdown on perfect 5-for-5 passing.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, South was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 276 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mira Monte only rushed for 152.
North's victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 3-5. As for South, they pushed their record up to 7-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. North has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 182.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like South struggles in that department as they've been averaging 201.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
North was able to grind out a solid victory over South in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, winning 28-20. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was South's Webster James, who rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for North to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
