The Reidsville Rams have an opportunity to wash the bad taste out of their mouth from last year’s East Rutherford loss.
Less than one year ago, they lost to a 17 seed in the round of thirty-two in a stunner that sent them home very early. And avoiding that fate this year certainly adds motivation to a Rams team that already has plenty of reasons to want to win. Star duo Kendre Harrison and Dionte Neal are seniors, and every time they step onto the field from now on, it could be the last time they play in a high school game. They are led by sophomore quarterback Braxton Johnson, who is still vying for his first taste of championship glory. And finally, that Reidsville fanbase is enough to make any player want to make his hometown proud.
The assignment this week is to take down Red Springs High School. Red Springs will travel 132 miles to the Football Capital of NC after achieving back-to-back wins for the first time all year.
Their quarterback, Chase Boone, is 143/203 for an over 70% completion percentage, while also boasting 2460 air yards. In the run game, Red Springs boasts 6.7 yards per carry. This could be a sneakily tough task for the Rams, especially considering that the defense gives up just 21 points per game. That’s not fantastic, but at the high school level, it is acceptable.
The Rams, however, have twenty-three state title banners, they are the number one seed, they have faced an immensely difficult strength of schedule, and they have won seven in a row. With Braxton Johnson at the helm, they are going to need to put up as many points as possible while also forcing turnovers on a team that has only lost the ball twelve times this year. While Red Springs will be a tough task to start of the postseason, Reidsville has the tools to advance to the round of 16.
The winner of this game gets the pleasure of facing a 7-3 single digit seed. They will either face 8-seeded Southwestern Randolph or 9-seeded Eastern Wayne.
Tomorrow evening, stay tuned for the Rockingham County Review to see if this ride continues.