Both Northside and Southside got to open their respective playoff runs at home last Friday. That was just about the only similarity between the two games. The Panthers railroaded Rocky Mount Prep, while Southside scooted past South Creek in an 8-0 win.

A lot of the standout work done by the Panthers came on the offensive side of the game. They put up an astounding 61 points to cruise to their first playoff win since 2004.

Southside excelled in a hard-hitting defensive game. The Seahawks, much like they did during last year’s run, bent on defense, but never broke. While the offense wasn’t as potent as when they met South Creek two months ago, the defense was able to stymie the Cougars time and again.

Here are Beaufort County’s standout football players that helped Northside and Southside punch their tickets to the second round.

 

JACKSON MIDGETTE

Senior Jackson Midgette had an astounding regular season. He amassed 567 yards on the ground, scored eight touchdowns and had an impressive understanding of the Panthers’ offense.

Midgette took it up a notch in the first round of the playoffs. He scorched the Jaguars for four touchdowns, and did so with explosive plays. The shortest run he made to the end zone was 22 yards.

 

DEMETRIUS EBRON

Southside’s defense had taken a bit of a backseat to its versatile rushing attack this season, but that wasn’t the case in its first-round win. The Seahawks played nearly perfect on defense.

It was an 11-man effort, but Demetrius Ebron excelled individually. He tied Raquelle Johnston with a team-high five tackles (three solo), and had an interception. It was one of four turnovers his side forced.

 

BRANDON SULLIVAN

Southside fullback Brandon Sullivan followed up a four-touchdown performance in the regular-season finale with the game-winning score in Friday’s first-round win. His 24-yard scamper in the first quarter stood up as the game’s only touchdown.

Even though the Seahawks struggled to finish drives, Sullivan was able to find moderate success on the ground. He used his power to pound South Creek for 56 yards on a dozen carries. He also had three tackles (one solo).

 

TYRECE TAYLOR

Tyrece Taylor was an impact player for Northside on both offense and defense. He was one of many Panthers to pound the Jaguars on the ground. His 19-yard touchdown run in the second helped the home side build a 27-0 lead that, early on, proved too much to overcome.

He was aggressive on defense, too. Taylor oftentimes found himself behind the line of scrimmage, stopping the Jaguars before they could pick up positive yardage. Once they fell behind quickly, he made them pay for passing more in a comeback attempt. Taylor plucked a ball that was tipped by Rhys Alligood and returned it for a touchdown in the third quarter.