3 Thursday Games To Watch: Week 2

It's early in the week, but we want to get ahead and take a peek at the schedule for Week 2. That starts on Thursday, with 25 games on that night. Here, we're breaking down three we're interested in seeing.   Here are three Thursday games to watch.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday Games To Watch</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hunt @ Tarboro</h3>   I love it when top teams from lower classes load their non-conference schedules with bigger schools. That's what 2A Tarboro has done as the Vikings host Hunt in between two other games against good 5A teams. They slid by Rocky Mount in a game they probably should have won by a larger margin, so I'm curious to see if a few of the execution mistakes get sorted out.   The Vikings ran for over 400 yards last week, but penalties ruined several promising drives. It was the usual suspects for a veteran Tarboro team, as [player_tooltip player_id='473838' first='Kamerin' last='McDowell-Moore'] ran for over 200 yards and [player_tooltip player_id='1408773' first='Tyler' last='Powell'] was once again efficient at quarterback (and added a rare rushing score). He's best as an edge rusher and highlights a ridiculously strong group of defensive ends on display Thursday.   In addition to the all-state Powell and [player_tooltip player_id='1698484' first='Josiah' last='Dickens'] on the Tarboro side, Hunt has some standout defenders. [player_tooltip player_id='1106602' first='Judah' last='Harris'] moved to an off-ball role last year, but we still list him as an edge rusher, given his physical profile and strength off the edge. It was pass-rush by committee last season for the Warriors, but [player_tooltip player_id='1610537' first='Randy' last='James'] was probably the best guy, with 14 tackles for loss. That defensive line against Tarboro's offensive line, led by [player_tooltip player_id='1667980' first='Demarcus' last='Bodrick'], might be the matchup of the night. Can the Warriors set the edge and hold up at the point of attack?   Watch out for [player_tooltip player_id='1704821' first='Keivious' last='Bridgers'] at linebacker for Tarboro against a balanced Hunt attack. He's a guy who can come up and stop the run, or back out and play zone.   Ultimately, I think Hunt's defense could have a hard time with the Wing T, given the explosive nature of the Tarboro backs, but this should be a really fun non-conference game.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Broughton @ Green Level</h3>   This is an interesting matchup in the 8A class in the Raleigh area, something I'm monitoring closely this year. Both teams are coming off close games and trying to get ahead in the non-conference. Broughton's defense was excellent in Week 1, but a talented offense struggled to put points on the board against a good Apex Friendship team.   The Capitals moved the ball well and a two-quarterback rotation completed 15 of 17 passes. Interestingly enough, a great running game (led by [player_tooltip player_id='1658606' first='Xavier' last='Howard']) struggled to get any kind of momentum. I think that says more about Apex Friendship than Broughton, but it's a situation to monitor.   The defense, on the other hand, was magnificent. The box score doesn't tell the whole story, but [player_tooltip player_id='1606887' first='Darias' last='Johnson'] lived in the backfield, generating plenty of pressure for the Capitals. [player_tooltip player_id='1709363' first='Davis' last='Cunningham'] and company in the secondary limited Apex Friendship to just 80 passing yards on 30 attempts.   Green Level's win over Athens Drive was on the strength of its young guys. 2028 RB [player_tooltip player_id='1272624' first='Luke' last='Pagan'] went over 100 yards on the ground and was the leading receiver for the Gators as well, scoring twice for the Gators. Quarterback/defensive back Ashish Varadaraju added two rushing scores.   The biggest development (in my opinion) was the emergence of a secondary option at the skill positions. While freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1853129' first='Derek' last='Monroe'] only had two touches on offense, it's obvious the staff likes him. He showed why with a 78-yard punt return touchdown to open the scoring. If the 6'1," 175-pounder can emerge as a receiving threat, it will go a long way towards making the Green Level offense less one-dimensional.   Ultimately, I trust Broughton to wind the clock and control the tempo, but the Gators have the chance to impress me and show everyone they're a threat.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Harnett Central @ Overhills</h3>   I wouldn't say I was surprised at the level of talent I found at these schools when doing some county deep dives in the offseason, but it felt like I came back to them again and again as teams with exceptional young talent.   Now, both are 1-0 after easy Week 1 wins and face off with the chance to get to 2-0 and build some momentum towards conference play.   Harnett Central leaned on its 2027 class in a 55-7 win over Northwood. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1135515' first='Koby' last='Howard'] wasn't at his best, but he still managed to throw for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Ro'Shawn Towson was efficient, with three touchdowns and over 150 yards on just 11 carries, giving the Trojans a rushing threat after losing most of their 2024 production.   There was an unlikely star, though. Normally, [player_tooltip player_id='1665469' first='DJ' last='Brown'] is the main contributor at receiver and has torn it up in the preseason. Last Friday, however, junior [player_tooltip player_id='1853146' first='Kole' last='Thompson'] stole the show, with 114 yards on just three receptions. He had a long 79-yard run as well. Long story short, this offense is as explosive as it gets, and Overhills will have its hands full.   The Jaguar offense, led by do-it-all [player_tooltip player_id='1607055' first='Ryyan' last='Coley'] will need to be precise and calculated Thursday. But. they're coming off a 38-17 win over Southern Lee, in which running back Damian Spradlin had a few huge plays. Receiver Jadyn Goldwire had a long touchdown catch as well.   The Jaguars also have one of our favorite young offensive linemen in massive center prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1669833' first='Lincoln' last='Wedderburn'], who looks more agile as a sophomore. Defensively, both defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1531724' first='Josiah' last='Bedford'] and defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1703195' first='Levontae' last='McNeill'] have some disruptive qualities and they'll look to stop an explosive Harnett Central offense.   This one will probably go to whichever defense can limit explosives and force the opposition to drive the length of the field. I like the Trojans here, but thing each offense could have its moments.

It's early in the week, but we want to get ahead and take a peek at the schedule for Week 2. That starts on Thursday, with 25 games on that night. Here, we're breaking down three we're interested in seeing.