After each having a week off, the J.L. Mann Patriots and the Easley Green Wave will dust off their jerseys to take on one another at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
J.L. Mann is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of South Carolina's top teams: Daniel, who was ranked 16th in their home state at the time (J.L. Mann was ranked sixth). J.L. Mann snuck past Daniel with a 28-23 win last Friday.
J.L. Mann's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Na'Cyus Morrison, who rushed for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Keyshun Henderson did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 94 receiving yards.
J.L. Mann was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 211 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2023.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to J.L. Mann's defense and their five sacks. In that department, Za?Nias Rosemond was the leader with two. J.L. Mann got some further help from Wyatt Ward: he made 15 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Easley can finally bid farewell to their five-game losing streak dating back to last season thanks to their game last Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Wade Hampton 41-14 on the road. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Green Wave considering their seven-point performance the contest before.
Jay Stoker had a dynamite game for Easley, throwing for 255 yards and three touchdowns while completing 77.8% of his passes, and also rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown. Matthew Hillstock was Stoker's top target, picking up 158 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
J.L. Mann now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Easley, their win ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 1-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. J.L. Mann has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 161.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Easley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 156.3. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for J.L. Mann against Easley when the teams last played back in September of 2023 as the team secured a 49-13 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for J.L. Mann since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
