Two dominant backs in Jonathan Clarkson and Cam McClendon are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The North Central Knights will host the Cheraw Braves at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
North Central took a loss when they played away from home back in September, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Friday. They snuck past Chesterfield with a 40-35 victory. The win was some much needed relief for the Knights as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Clarkson was his usual excellent self, rushing for 252 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.9 yards per carry. He is becoming a predictor of North Central's success: when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns the team is 2-1 (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Brayden Price was another key player, rushing for 66 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: North Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 378 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
Meanwhile, Cheraw strolled past Central with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 30-13. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Braves.
Cheraw relied on the efforts of McClendon, who rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns, and Kadin Thomas, who threw for 104 yards and a touchdown on only nine passes.
The victory got North Central back to even at 3-3. As for Cheraw, they pushed their record up to 4-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home.
Things could have been worse for North Central, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 20-6 loss to Cheraw in their previous matchup back in October of 2023. Will North Central have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
