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In an unusual week in which Hurricane Helene forced high school football games to be played on Sept. 26, two Chatham County teams picked up a win for the second time this season.
Seaforth and Northwood’s victories improved the county-wide record to 8-13, and both teams once again entered the .500 club before their showdown at Northwood Friday.
Looking at the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings, the Chargers and the Hawks are still in the running for a top two conference finish as the season enters its second half, but Jordan-Matthews and Chatham Central have a lot of work to do to improve their outlook for the 2A and 1A playoffs, respectively.
Here’s a recap of Friday’s football action, a preview of next week for each county team, conference standings and the latest football power rankings:
Northwood
Northwood (3-3, 3-1) won its second consecutive game with a 40-22 victory over Bartlett Yancey (2-4, 2-2).
Junior quarterback Grayson Cox and the Chargers’ offense found success through the air. Cox connected with Isaiah Blair for some big gains, including a long touchdown, and he found Robert Tripp and Raje Torres for scores as well.
Down, 22-19 at halftime, Northwood scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to take control of the game.
With cross-town rival Seaforth coming into its place Friday at 7 p.m., Northwood will need to continue its hot streak on offense. The Chargers have scored at least 40 points in back to back games, but against Seaforth’s stout defense, it might not come as easy as the last two weeks.
For both teams, scoring will be a must need as both the Hawks and the Chargers are strong on the defensive front. With juniors Nick Gregory and Patrick Miller leading its secondary and senior George Weaver creating pressure up front, Seaforth has one of the better passing defenses Northwood will see in conference play. The Chargers will need a balanced attack to keep the Hawks on their toes, including a big game from its offensive line to keep the Hawks out the backfield.
Jordan-Matthews
Jordan-Matthews (2-4, 1-3) couldn’t stop North Moore’s (1-4, 1-2) relentless rushing attack in a 54-0 loss.
The Mustangs ran for 455 yards and eight touchdowns against the Jets, finishing the game with two 100-yard rushing performances from Brandon Powell (169 yards and three touchdowns) and Xander Greene (129 yards and 2 touchdowns).
Things won’t get any easier for the Jets when they travel to first-place Southeast Alamance (5-0, 3-0) Friday.
Still without numerous key players against the Mustangs due to injury, the key for a better performance from the Jets will still be health and improvement from the young players that have filled in for the injured starters the past few weeks.
Seaforth
Seaforth (2-2, 2-1) has a chance to beat Northwood for the first time in program history and take the third-place spot in the conference standings from the Chargers.
With the defense being their strength all season long, the Hawks will need to play complimentary football and find a rhythm offensively to keep up with the Chargers’ offensive firepower.
Having a solid field goal kicker in Travis Mann helps, too, as long as Seaforth is able to get him in range. In what could be a closely contested rivalry game, Mann may be needed for crucial points.
Chatham Central
Chatham Central (1-5, 0-4) has a good chance to do what it hasn’t done since 2018, which is win two games.
The Bears will travel to Graham (0-4, 0-2), a team that has lost every game by an average margin of 46.7 points, Friday at 7 p.m.
Chatham Central will get quarterback Nick Glover back on the field this week, which will help the offensive production greatly.
Power Rankings
Last week: 1. Northwood: 2. Seaforth; 3. Jordan-Matthews; 4. Chatham Central
This week’s rankings: 1. Northwood; 2. Seaforth; 3. Chatham Central; 4. Jordan-Matthews
Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings: 1. Southeast Alamance (5-0, 3-0); 2. Cummings (4-1, 3-0); 3. Northwood (3-3, 3-1); 4. Seaforth (2-2, 2-1); 5. Bartlett Yancey (2-4, 2-2); 6. North Moore (1-4, 1-2); 7. Jordan-Matthews (2-4, 1-3); 8. Graham (0-4, 0-2); 9. Chatham Central (1-5, 0-4)