MANTEO (2-3, 0-0 1A ALBEMARLE CONFERENCE) AT NORTHSIDE (3-2, 0-1 1A COASTAL PLAINS CONFERENCE)

LAST TIME OUT ON THE FIELD

The Panthers opened conference play last week with a 41-6 loss at home to Riverside, handing Northside its second defeat in a row after starting the season with a three-game winning streak. The Panthers started the game looking flat, as the Knights scored two touchdowns in the opening five minutes, and Northside never recovered. The Panthers had difficulty stopping the Riverside offense, which utilized screen passes and jet sweeps to get the ball to its playmakers in space. Northside made things worse for itself by committing five turnovers, three of which directly led to Riverside touchdowns. The Panthers finally scored through a Kenneth Winfield rushing touchdown, but it was too little, too late.

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Can Northside get back to winning the turnover battle? Part of the Panthers’ recipe for success during their three-game win streak to open the season was an opportunistic defense that took the ball away from opposing offenses, while not turning the ball over themselves. The tried-and-true formula of generating turnovers while limiting its own led to Northside outscoring its opponents 114-18 through its first three games. But in the last two games, both losses by a combined score of 85-7, the Panthers have racked up costly turnovers while not taking the ball away from their opponents like in games past.

 

2. Can the Panthers slow down Manteo’s ground game? While averaging 12 pass attempts per game, the Manteo offense is heavily reliant on its rushing attack. The Redskins as a team have rushed for 1,317 yards so far, averaging 8.0 yards per carry and 263.4 yards per game. The Manteo run game is led by Claveon Rice, who has rushed for 381 yards on 25 carries over the past three games after not playing in the first two games of the season. Northside will be in for a long night if it can’t contain Rice and his fellow running backs.

 

3. Will Johnathan Clark and company return to making plays on offense? The Northside offense, led by the starting quarterback Clark, accumulated 887 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns through the first three games of the season. With four players with over 100 rushing yards, it was a balanced running game that didn’t rely upon any one player. But the Panther offense has struggled recently, having been shut out through seven of their last eight quarters of play. The likes of Clark, Tyler Modlin, Fred Taylor, Omari Crandell and Kenneth Winfield have shown flashes the last two games, but Northside needs more from them.