SOUTHSIDE (2-4, 0-2 1A COASTAL PLAINS CONFERENCE) AT RIVERSIDE (7-1, 3-0 1A CPC)

LAST TIME OUT ON THE FIELD

Southside is coming off of 14 days of rest, as the Seahawks last saw the field against Pamlico County (6-1, 2-1 1A CPC). Southside got off to a sloppy start in the matchup on Oct. 5, as the Hurricanes stormed out to a 26-0 lead. Pamlico star Sayvone Tutt was then ejected for striking Sion Kinlaw in the face, energizing the Seahawks into driving down the field for a touchdown. Southside showed improvement on the defensive side of the ball in the second half, but had already dug too deep of a hole, eventually losing 45-14.

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. How much was Southside head coach Jeff Carrow able to iron out during the last two weeks? Carrow wasn’t happy with his team’s sloppy play in their last game, as players missed assignments and didn’t consistently execute. With a bye last week, that allowed Carrow and his staff to work on improving their team’s mistakes without having to prepare for a specific opponent. Now that Southside returns to action, it’s time to see if the Seahawks can bring it all together for four quarters.

 

2. How will the Seahawk secondary handle Riverside’s air attack? Essentially all of Southside’s opponents this season have been reliant on running the ball, but the Knights have a more balanced attack, with 930 pass yards and 1,438 yards on the ground this year. The Seahawk defensive backs will be tested, as Riverside doesn’t rely on one receiver, but instead spreads it around to four different players who all have at least 123 yards and two touchdowns this year.

 

3. Can Southside’s offensive line keep quarterback Will Warren and the running backs clean and on their feet? Riverside has only allowed 101 points in eight games this season and a large part of that is the penetration the Knights get at the line. Riverside has racked up 12 sacks and 49 tackles for loss, and if the Seahawk offensive line isn’t up to the task, Warren and company will be in for a long night.