Union is 0-7 against North Duplin since October of 2017 but things could change on Friday. The Spartans will look to defend their home field against the Rebels at 7:00 p.m. Union has given up an average of 28.3 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Union is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Lakewood on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Spartans came up short against the Leopards, falling 40-14.
Tobias Cromartie
| 10/10/25 @ Lakewood | 110 |
| 10/03/25 vs Hobbton | 129 |
| 09/25/25 @ East Columbus | 141 |
Despite the defeat, Union saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Tobias Cromartie rushed for 110 yards and one TD. Cromartie's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 110 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, North Duplin was fully in charge on Friday, breezing past West Columbus 49-14. The Rebels might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by 20 points or more this season.
Union better keep an eye on Carell Phillips. He was instrumental in North Duplin's win, rushing for 258 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 14.3 yards per carry. That's the most rushing yards Phillips has posted since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jayden Pope, who rushed for 60 yards and one score.
North Duplin was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 367 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
North Duplin's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 9.3 points on average over those games. As for Union, their loss dropped their record down to 2-5.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Cromartie and Phillips. Cromartie just won't slow down this season and has run in 10 touchdowns while averaging 146.7 rushing yards per game. Phillips has been a dominant force too and has run in 15 touchdowns while averaging 150.1 rushing yards per game.
Union was taken down by North Duplin 49-8 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Spartans were down 42-0.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
