After two games on the road, Northern Durham is heading back home. They and the American Leadership Academy-Johnston Patriots are set to duel on Friday.
Northern Durham is headed into the match out to prove that what happened against Riverside-Durham on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Northern Durham came up short against Riverside-Durham, falling 35-14. The loss continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now lost five in a row.
Meanwhile, American Leadership Academy-Johnston got the win against South Lenoir on Friday by a conclusive 28-8. Considering the Patriots have won six games by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
American Leadership Academy-Johnston found their leader in sophomore Symir Ray, who rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown on only 15 carries. Ray's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 109 rushing yards. Cash Tolley was in the mix as well, providing American Leadership Academy-Johnston with two touchdowns.
Ray was just one part of a punishing run game: American Leadership Academy-Johnston was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 362 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 155 rushing yards in 13 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
American Leadership Academy-Johnston wouldn't let South Lenoir keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Demarr Williams, Calvin Hooks, and Elijah Fulton picked up one apiece. Chris Ayala was another major factor on D, picking up a sack, making seven total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defending a pass.
Northern Durham's defeat dropped their record down to 1-8. As for American Leadership Academy-Johnston, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
