Let’s start our week of previews on the North Carolina coast with a first-round 3A clash between West Johnston and Currituck County.
UPDATE — This game is being played Saturday at 1 p.m. due to severe weather on the coast.
Records: West Johnston 6-4; Currituck County 5-5
How they got here: West Johnston earned a wildcard after finishing in a three-way tie for third in the Quad County 3A, while Currituck County was second place overall, and the top 3A finisher, in the Northeastern 2A/3A.
Simmons Ratings pick: West Johnston -11
On the road: Per Google, it’s 201 miles from the parking lot at West Johnston to the parking lot of Currituck County High School in Barco. It will take about three and a half hours all told to travel up I-95 to about Rocky Mount, then jump on N.C. 64 for the rest of the journey.
Series: These teams have not met in the MaxPreps era. Ironically, Currituck County eliminated South Johnston, 28-21, in this round during last year’s playoffs.
Stat pack: Currituck County has actually been outscored this season, 245-252. The schedule is a little soft as well, as the Knights have only one win over a team with a winning record. Here’s a look at their stats:
Turning the page to West Johnston, the schedule is a little tougher with all four losses coming to playoff teams (and two of those were against unbeaten teams in C.B. Aycock and Cleveland). Interestingly enough, the Wildcats have also been outscored this season, 260-277, though 76-0 against those two perfect teams skews the math a bit.
Now, for the Wildcats’ stats:
Keys to the game: It doesn’t take a brilliant football mind to read these stats and suggest that forcing Currituck County out of its running game is important. Devin Duke’s season high in passing yards is 112, so making the Knights one dimensional would be the ideal scenario for West Johnston.
As for the Wildcats, their range of results is about as wide as I’ve seen this season. They can go from world beaters (late in the Harnett Central and South Johnston games) to just plain beaten (first half against Hunt or the entire Aycock game).
Obviously, they go as Josiah Wells goes on offense. He’s responsible for more than 2,000 yards of total offense and 26 touchdowns this season. A good night from him, and a typical night out of a pretty good defense, would lead to good things for Jermaine Harper’s squad.
Prediction: I doubted Currituck County’s credentials in this spot last season, but the Knights held off South Johnston in a tough game. This feels like a close game, but I think West Johnston might have just a bit too much for the home team.