Croatan is 2-7 against West Carteret since September of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Cougars will welcome the Patriots at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Croatan was handed a heart-breaking two-point defeat in their last matchup, but they sure didn't let that happen against Richlands last Friday. The Cougars blew past the Wildcats 38-7. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won six games by 31 points or more so far this season.
Andrew Boucher continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 55 yards and a pair of TDs, while also picking up 34 receiving yards and one touchdown. Riley Robinson was another key player, picking up 100 receiving yards and one score.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Croatan proved: they limited Richlands to a paltry 1.3 yards per carry. The team can thank Carter Abalos for the heroic effort on defense: he. Croatan's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 4.5.
Croatan didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Beau Boyd and Everett Fitzsimmons. Croatan received some extra help from Abalos, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, West Carteret was able to grind out a solid victory over Richlands on Friday, taking the game 34-21. The Patriots pushed the score to 34-14 by the end of the third, a deficit the Wildcats cut but never quite recovered from.
West Carteret's win came from a few key players Croatan will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Joshua Bauman, who rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns. West Carteret is undefeated when Bauman posts two or more rushing touchdowns, but 1-3 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Tanner Payne, who threw for 305 yards and a pair of TDs.
Croatan pushed their record up to 7-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.3 points over those games. As for West Carteret, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.
| Rushing Yards | 795 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 16 |
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Boucher and Bauman. Boucher just won't slow down this season and has run in 16 touchdowns while averaging 99.4 rushing yards per game. Bauman has been a dominant force too and has run in 12 touchdowns while averaging 134.9 rushing yards per game.
Croatan couldn't quite get it done against West Carteret in their previous meeting back in November of 2024 as they fell 35-28. Will the Cougars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
