Northside and Southside are set to do battle once more. Friday marks the 2017 iteration of the Anchor Bowl between the Panthers and Seahawks. The trophy won’t be all that’s on the line, though, as the Beaufort County rivals jockey for positioning in the 1-A Coastal Plains Conference.

This season is the first time in recent years that Southside and Northside haven’t had a home-and-home series with one another. They’re always slated to meet in league play, but had been scheduling each other for non-conference matchups, too.

There are plenty of notable encounters between the Seahawks and Panthers to look back on. This trip down memory lane will only go back a year, though.

 

Northside at Southside, 2016

A 23-6 win over Southside early last season was a significant accomplishment for Northside. It marked the Panthers’ third-straight win to begin the season, surpassing their win total from the year before. Quarterback Jackson Midgette ran in two of Northside’s touchdowns. The defense was also a momentum source. It held the Seahawks to four plays on their opening drive, setting the table for the offense to take the lead on its first series.

“We get the ball and stick it in. It just gives us momentum,” Northside coach Keith Boyd said after the game. “I think we had two penalties and a couple of fumbles, but our defense did a great job not allowing those fumbles to turn into points for Southside. We’ve got a resilient group.”

 

Southside at Northside, 2016

Kyle Hill ran for a game-best 143 yards. Demetrius Ebron caught a 25-yard touchdown from Marshall Medlock. Zikajah Crawford and Trajan Rhome each scored on the ground, too, as Southside topped the Panthers, 22-6, to hang onto the Anchor Bowl. The Panther defense kept it competitive by pitching a second-half shutout, but James Barrow’s fourth-quarter touchdown wasn’t enough to bridge the gap.

“We didn’t show up last game, and that was on us and that’s on us as coaches,” Southside coach Jeff Carrow said. “We knew we had to be more focused this game. The guys came out and they were focused.”