It’s another Friday, football fans! Finally, after having been off since Sept. 7 due to Hurricane Florence, football returns across all the county tonight, with the exception of Clinton, who is on an already scheduled bye week. Also, with the exception of Harrells, who will be traveling to Fayetteville Christian, all of our schools are hosting their games this week with Lakewood facing off against North Duplin, Hobbton hosting Rosewood, Midway hosting James Kenan, and our Game of the Week — Princeton at Union.
There’s much to discuss, so let’s jump right on in!
Harrells at Fayetteville Christian
The Crusaders are coming off a big conference win against North Raleigh Christian last week and will look to extend that win streak tonight when they take on the Fayetteville Christian Warriors. The Warriors are not off to a great start at all as they sit at 0-6 overall. For Harrells, they have a solid unit that features several offensive weapons that should have a field day against the struggling Warriors. Harrells, currently sitting at 2-2 overall, should get above .500 on the season with a win tonight. Game time at Fayetteville Christian is at 7 p.m.
Lakewood vs North Duplin
The Leopards are probably off to a better start than many people expected them to be. After picking up a big, gritty win against Midway, Lakewood will be hungry to continue their winning ways. North Duplin, however, presents as a big test for the Leopards as they bring in a respectable 3-1 record. A common opponent between the two teams is Lejeune. Both teams picked up wins against them, with Lakewood winning 30-6 and the Rebels winning 56-22. Apples to apples, Lakewood scores fewer points against the Devil Pups but also gave up fewer points as well. This game should be another great game with a slight advantage going in favor of the Leopards as they’ll be the home team. In last years matchup, North Duplin handed Lakewood their second loss of that season win they defeated the Leopards 21-14. All the ingredients are there for another close game between the two so the question is: can Lakewood come out on top and stay undefeated? Game time at Lakewood is at 7 p.m.
Hobbton vs Rosewood
The Wildcats are having a solid season so far, sitting at 3-2 overall. Improvement is already noted over at Hobbton under first year head coach Joe Salas as the season nears it midway point. Tonight, the Wildcats embrace a tough test in the Rosewood Eagles. Rosewood enters the contest with a similar record at 3-1, but a common opponent between the two teams is North Johnston. Rosewood bested the Panthers 48-22. After they, the Panthers toppled the Wildcats 42-8. Apples to apples, it looks like Hobbton could be in for some trouble but that wouldn’t be a fair assessment. As previously mentioned, the Wildcats have certainly improved this season and picked up back to back wins since that loss so momentum is on their side. Can Hobbton keep their win streak alive? Game time is 7 p.m.
Midway vs James Kenan
It’s Homecoming over at Midway High School as the Raiders welcome the typically strong James Kenan Tigers. Midway has suffered back-to-back losses to county foes Lakewood and Clinton so the Raiders are certainly looking for a solid win to get their season back on track. The Tigers could be the team that helps them do just that. James Kenan enters the contest at 2-2 overall and seems to be an evenly matched opponent for Midway. After the loss to Clinton on Monday, head coach Cory Barnes was still doing all he could to get his team fired up for a big Homecoming night. Can the Raiders put to bed the bad taste from the past two games with an impressive conference win? Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Princeton at Union (Game of the Week)
This week’s Game of the Week will take place in southern Sampson County as the undefeated Princeton Bulldogs travel to take on Union. The Spartans have had their ups and downs this season as they kicked off the season with a close home loss to Midway before winning two straight. Their last outing, though, was a loss to Heide Trask. It’s fair to say that Union will be wanting to get back into the win column but the Bulldogs are certainly a formidable opponent. Apples to apples, Union lost a thrilling game at the hands of the Raiders back at the beginning of the season. The Spartans had their chances late in the contest but their final, potentially game-winning drive came up just short. Princeton, on the other hand, had a furious rushing attack that Midway couldn’t stop as the Bulldogs bested the Raiders by two touchdowns. With the season progressing, Union certainly could prove to be a big test for Princeton. But, can they go all the way and upset their undefeated opponents? We’ll find out tonight! Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Be sure to catch this weekend’s edition for a full rundown of our Game of the Week as well as quick recaps of all area games!
