The Tarboro Vikings and the Pender Patriots are set to duel on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Tarboro is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 71-0 win over Warren County. The victory was nothing new for the Vikings as they're now sitting on seven straight.
Tarboro's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Mason Satterfield, who rushed for 71 yards and three touchdowns. Kamerin McDowell-Moore was another key back, rushing for 85 yards and two touchdowns.
Tarboro was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 271 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 196 rushing yards in nine consecutive matches.
Tarboro didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as McDowell-Moore, Brandon Jones, and Keivious Bridgers picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, Pender came tearing into Friday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 42.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They breezed by the Red Barons to the tune of 60-20. With the Patriots ahead 54-12 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Jeremiah Johnson was his usual excellent self, rushing for 175 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 carries. Johnson is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 106 every time he's taken the field this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Austin Deal, who rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Tarboro's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-1. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.0 points per game. As for Pender, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-3 record this season.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Tarboro has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 306.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pender struggles in that department as they've been averaging 398.2. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Tarboro beat Pender 22-12 when the teams last played back in December of 2021. Does Tarboro have another victory up their sleeve, or will Pender turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
