Two dominant wideouts in Elliot Premus and Damauri Robinson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Southmoreland Scotties will be playing in front of their home fans against the Derry Trojans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Southmoreland didn't have too much trouble with Ringgold on the road as they won 32-15.
Southmoreland's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Premus, who picked up 79 receiving yards and a touchdown. Premus also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making four total tackles and defending two passes in addition to snagging an interception. Jackson Mickens was another key player, picking up 92 receiving yards and a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Southmoreland's defense and their four sacks. Stanley Chapman was especially locked on to Ringgold's QB and sacked him 2.5 times.
Meanwhile, Derry never let their opponents score on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 21-0 margin over Indiana. The game marked the Trojans' most dominant win of the season so far.
It was another big night for Robinson, who rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries, and also picked up 31 receiving yards. Another player making a difference was Justin Papuga, who rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Derry was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 234 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 161 rushing yards in four consecutive matches.
Southmoreland's victory bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Derry, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Southmoreland has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 171.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Derry struggles in that department as they've been averaging 199.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Southmoreland came out on top in a nail-biter against Derry when the teams last played back in September of 2023, sneaking past 24-21. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Derry's Ahmad Ward, who rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Southmoreland to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
