Jacksonville Dominates Stellar Performances : Michael Carlock caught three catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns in a challenging contest. Along with him, Damari Gantt excelled. He scored twice to help Jacksonville beat Southwest.
Early on, Jacksonville started well. The Cardinals led 28-0 early in the third quarter after Carlock’s 36- and 37-yard catches. Gantt raced five yards for a touchdown after recovering a fumble, showing his speed. He added to the excitement by rushing 46 yards to the end zone in the next quarter. Gantt ran seven times for 56 yards. Amaree Barber threw to Shawn Peterson, who raced 26 yards for a touchdown. Amaree Dorsey and Barber, quarterbacks, had moments. They ran 109 and 78 yards.
Darrold Dorsey ran 21 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns on the other side. Notably, Jacob Evans’ 2-yard scoring run contributed. The Stallions haven’t beaten Jacksonville since 2014.
Southwest will fight Richlands, and Jacksonville will fight White Oak. In another thrilling game, Josh Smith threw four touchdowns, and Demarius Hester grabbed two. Trevion Mageo’s two goals in White Oak’s win over East Carteret garnered attention.
Smith’s 67-yard screen pass to Hester set the tone. Mageo then went 80 yards to score on a screen pass. Mageo’s 31-yard touchdown run and Smith’s short-yard pass to Hester improved collaboration.
Read More:Toronto Football Squad Season Opener: 34 0 Shutout Victory
Viking highlights included Isiah Gilliam’s 9-yard touchdown run, Carlis Sample’s long touchdown catch, and Jamieson Avila’s 58-yard catch. Midway through, the Vikings led 45-0. Mageo knotted it with an 8-yard touchdown run.
The next step is White Oak playing Jacksonville. Zach Brown passed for 120 yards and two touchdowns to help East Duplin beat Dixon.
Dixon had an early 7–3 lead, but the Panthers scored 13 straight. East Duplin played well when Baines Raynor scored from 4 yards out, and Elam Moore sprinted 8 yards. Brown scored twice on Davis. A 13-yard touchdown by Keeshon McKinnie concluded the game. Moore didn’t only help offensively. He made 11 defensive stops.
East Duplin had standout defenders. Jordan Hall’s 16 tackles, Luke Hughes’ 13, Jeremiah Judge’s 12, and McKinnie’s interception were crucial.
What next? East Duplin and Dixon welcome West Craven and Topsail, respectively. Croatan beat Washington in the first half of another game. Easton Taylor’s 1-yard run and Coleman Davis’s 39-yard pass to Landon Lewis, which made it 14-0, were spectacular plays. Washington’s Jerai Davenport’s 60-yard kickoff return helped, but Croatan’s Josh Steffy scored 42 yards.
Pamlico was Croatan’s next foe. Richlands lost against South Brunswick after losing their 28-10 advantage at halftime due to chance. Caleb Simco’s two rushing and one passing touchdowns made a difference. The gap widened when Owen Simco scored from 1 yard out. South Brunswick tied the game in the fourth quarter with 22 points.
The next game is Richlands-Southwest. Northside was losing 19-0 to Clinton in another game. However, William Johnson’s 90-yard kickoff return revived the Monarchs. Clinton replied swiftly, giving them a larger lead.
Next up for Northside is Swansboro. Swansboro fell behind 23-7 to James Kenan. Aiden Berry scored 65 yards on a fumble, giving the squad hope. James Kenan answered with three touchdowns.
Ryan Brinkley threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns, and Jordan Coleman caught ten passes for 126 yards.
Swansboro’s next employment is Northside. Pender and Lejeune scored many goals. Lejeune’s push was obvious at halftime when Pender led 56–28. The game changed with Connor Shea’s touchdown passes to Andrew Finnerty and Malachi Moore. Trevor Highsmith’s superb scoring showed Shea’s versatility.
The next destination for Lejeune is Spring Creek.