Houston County football takes on another county rival in Northside for second region game

Fresh off of a 56-0 win over stadium rival Veterans, the Houston County Bears (5-1, 1-0 Region 2-5A) will host another county rival in the Northside Eagles (2-3, 0-0 Region) on Friday.

Northside’s first region game against Coffee had to be rescheduled due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, so this will be their first region game.

Here are three things to watch:

1. Can Northside snap the skid?

Northside is on a three-game losing streak dating back to their loss to Warner Robins on Aug. 30.

They had one three-game losing streak last year before beating Tift County in overtime, and haven’t had a streak longer than three since 2019 when they lost five straight.

2. Can the Bears continue to hold back the Eagles’ offense?

One of the biggest contributors to Northside’s current losing streak is their struggling offense.

There is talent there, but with this being Jayden Wright’s first full year under center and the Eagles losing a lot at running back, they haven’t had their most productive season.

Northside only has two offensive touchdowns in their last four games, and one special teams touchdown against Warner Robins.

HoCo has had good performances against the run this season, most notably holding Perry to -10 rushing yards. If the Eagles aren’t able to get it done through the air it could be another rough day for the offense.

3. HoCo’s offense is rolling

Northside’s defense has had a solid year outside of giving up 50 to Peach County. They’ve only allowed more than 18 points twice this season, and held a potent Burke County offense to 14 points.

That being said, the Bears are rolling.

They haven’t scored less than 30 points this year, have scored more than 40 four times, and more than 50 twice.

Antwann Hill Jr. is 111-of-161 for 1407 yards, 17 touchdowns and one interception through five games, and the rushing and receiving corps haven’t missed a beat since last season.

Austin Stinson and Javien Durham have been a great pairing in the backfield, and outside of Isaiah Mitchell, MJ Mathis has separated himself from the pack with 343 yards and four touchdowns on 27 receptions.

Shemarr Scott is a player to watch for Northside. He leads the team with four tackles for a loss and five quarterback hurries. He was poised for a breakout in the spring, and has been one of the biggest contributors for the Eagles so far.

Kickoff is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. on Freedom Field.