Seahawks look to snap skid versus Vikings
Published 8:28 pm Thursday, September 27, 2012
A 66-0 victory over South Creek last week pushed Plymouth up one spot in the AP poll as the Vikings are now ranked eighth in the state as they travel to Chocowinity to take on Southside.
The Seahawks are in the midst of a three-game slide but a victory over the high-powered Vikings would help right the ship.
Northside saw its two-game losing streak come to an end as it topped Perquimans in Week 6 and will play its second straight home game against a tough Camden team that was blanked 21-0 by Riverside.
The Knights will look to Xerox that effort on the road tonight against a winless Perquimans team.
After taking a tough loss at the hands of the Plymouth, South Creek will attempt to rebound against a stellar Manteo team that is currently ranked fifth in the state.
Here’s a look at the matchups:
Camden (3-2, 1-1) at Northside (3-2, 1-1)
The Panthers snapped their two-game losing streak in impressive fashion last Friday as they blew by Perquimans 56-22 to earn their first Four Rivers Conference win of the season.
Getting the second one figures to be a little tougher as Northside hosts a Camden team that is looking to rebounds from a 21-0 loss at the hands of Riverside.
“I think it’s going to be a close ball game either way,” Northside coach Keith Boyd said. “Our records are identical and the winner kind of gets a leg up on everyone else in trying to get that third spot (in the standings). It’s a big test for us and we’ll kind of find out where we’re at.”
The Panthers looked strong on offense last week as QB Noel Howson scored two TDs, while Kysheem Mackey, Austin Gambrel and Josh Peacock reached the end zone once.
“It was a great offensive night,” Boyd said. “We blocked well and put some points on the board.”
The Panthers will need that same type of offensive production again, while defensively it must stand tall against a physical Bruins’ attack.
“We have to find a way to stop their read-option and veer,” Boyd said. “We’ll have to play fundamentally sound football and match their intensity.”
No. 8 Plymouth (5-1, 2-0) at Southside (2-4, 0-2)
Southside will look to break a three-game losing streak tonight but will have its hands full as it hosts a Plymouth team that is ranked eighth in the state and is coming off of a 66-0 victory over South Creek.
The Seahawks will be playing their second straight ranked opponent as Southside fell 51-6 to No. 5 Manteo last Friday.
Southside coach DeWayne Kellum said that playing in the Four Rivers Conference has prepared his team for these kind of tough stretches.
“Our conference is always strong. We usually have somebody represent us in the third or fourth round of the playoffs,” Kellum said. “But, we can’t worry about other people, we just have to worry about getting ourselves better.”
Southside will be without RB Johnnie Pender due to a back injury, but will add star DE/OL Hayden Bogart, who has been out with an ankle injury since the preseason.
Helping fill the void for Pender at the RB spot will be Darrius Whitley.
“Darrius Whitley stepped up last week and ran hard,” Kellum said. “He’s worked hard and ran the ball good for us.”
The Vikings offense has been explosive in the last two games as it tallied 98 points, but coach Robert Cody said the defense, which has allowed a mere seven points in that two-week stretch has been just as good.
“Our defense has really been stepping up. We’re playing well and tackling well,” Cody said. “Khalil Sheppard has really done well and Malik Webb and corner Kendrick Pitt have been playing really, really well.”
Led by RBs Quadree Pettiford and Pitt, Plymouth can post points in a heartbeat and Kellum said the key is to play fundamentally sound football.
“We have to block and tackle,” Kellum said. “We just can’t make mistakes, they’re too good of a team.”
Riverside (2-4, 1-1) at Perquimans (0-6, 0-2)
The Knights used a solid overall effort to pick up their first conference win of the year as they blanked Camden 21-0 last Friday.
“We came out and played well,” Riverside coach Asim McGill said. “Defensively, we played pretty good and offensively I thought we played pretty good.”
Riverside got a TD from Jadarian Brown, while Johnny Bell threw a halfback pass for a score and the defense returned a fumble for seven more points.
The Knights held the Bruins to six yards of total offense in the first two quarters and McGill said that effort was key.
“I thought our defensive line might have had one of their best games of the season,” McGill said. “It was just an all-around good effort defensively.”
While the Knights’ defense has been stepping up, the offense still has room for improvement.
“We can’t afford to leave points on the board. We have to score,” McGill said. “We had a few chances to score but we didn’t and we can’t afford to have missed opportunities. If we get the ball in the red zone we have to score.”
Perquimans is coming off of a 56-22 loss at the hands of Northside, and is in the midst of a six-game losing streak.
No. 5 Manteo (5-0, 2-0) at South Creek (1-5, 1-1)
South Creek fell 66-0 to then-ranked No. 9 Plymouth last Friday and tonight must face No. 5 Manteo who has won five straight games with the last one being a 51-6 victory over Southside.
Cougars’ coach Jeremy Jones said his team faces a big challenge in the Redskins.
“They’re the same old Manteo. They’re going to run their fullback and the toss and mix in some play-action out of 500 different formations,” Jones said. “Their front line is about as good looking as it’s been since I’ve been here. Their backs are fast and physical and their quarterback is smart. They are very well coached.”
Jones said in order to be successful tonight his defense must step up.
“The main thing is you have to stop the toss and the fullback,” Jones said. “You’re going to give up something. If you over commit to the sweep they’re going to run the fullback and if you commit to the fullback they’re going to toss. You have to stay balanced on the inside and outside and not get caught out of position.”
Offensively, the Cougars have to put forth a consistent effort.
“It’s like one week we’re up and the next week it’s like what happen to the team I saw last week,” Jones said. “The biggest thing we have to do is finish blocks.”