North Brunswick (4-0, 7-2) at Northside (2-1, 6-3)
The East Central Conference doesn’t get much love each week and because of that North Brunswick has flown under the radar heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.
The Scorpions are riding the area’s longest winning streak, with five straight wins, but North Brunswick has yet to face its two toughest opponent s in the division. One of those tests comes this week with a trip to Jacksonville for a date with Northside.
North Brunswick then plays at East Duplin in the regular season finale so the final two games for Coach Larry Brock and his squad will decide whether or not they can win a conference title and get a favorable seed for the upcoming state playoffs.
With that said, the Scorpions have done what they’ve needed to do up to this point thanks to a ton of athleticism on offense, a defensive unit gaining confidence and a solid special teams game.
Jc Smith and Jayhlen Washington can take it to the house anytime they touch the ball and with quarterback Jathan Deberry behind center, North Brunswick is tough to game plan for. They’re a run heavy offense, averaging nearly 25 points per game against its four conference opponents thus far.
Michael Rivers seems to connect on at least one field goal each week and can put it pretty much anywhere he wants on kickoff.
Northside fell 17-7 to first-place East Duplin last week, snapping a three-game winning streak, but the Monarchs are battle tested this season with games against 3A powerhouse Havelock and neighboring Jacksonville High School.
Like North Brunswick, Northside is at its best when they run the football, which means turnovers, penalties and the ability to make big plays will decide whether or not the Scorpions can keep their conference title hopes alive.
If North Brunswick can get the road win, the Scorpions will play for a league title on Friday, Nov. 4 at East Duplin.
