Week 1: Top 3 Games in Eastern NC

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Week 1 is here! Friday, teams all across the state will square off as the regular season has finally arrived. In what I hope will be a new (and popular) weekly feature, I'm breaking down some of the best matchups across the state by region. Here are three key Week 1 matchups in the eastern part of the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Week 1 Eastern NC Matchups</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">West Carteret vs. Jacksonville</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two of our favorite reams to watch in this part of the state go at it on Friday night and I expect fireworks. Jacksonville loses a ton from last year's high-flying offense including three running backs that combined for over 3,600 rushing yards. The Cardinals also lose their top three receivers and quarterback. It's a full rebuild off a team that scored over 500 points last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On that side of the ball, I'm just interested to see who the next in line could be. On paper, receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1844273' first='SaRonn' last='Thompson']</strong> and running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1895409' first='Amari' last='Pearson']</strong> are the next up. Pearson is a stout, compact runner with some wiggle who ran for just under 200 yards on only 27 carries last year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thompson caught only eight passes, but he did plenty of damage, going for over 200 yards with a touchdown. Expect that volume to go up and I'm interested to see if the deep ball becomes a bigger part of the 2025 offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This feels like a make-or-break year for West Carteret. Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='870217' first='Tanner' last='Payne']</strong> is a senior and while he loses two of his top three receivers, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1581460' first='Jay' last='Murray']</strong> returns both bigger and faster than last season, while I've heard excellent things about running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1702456' first='Joshua' last='Bauman']</strong>'s offseason. On paper, the offense should be a bit better than the team that was shut out by this very Jacksonville team in the playoffs last year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cardinals return most of the linebacker corps, but the secondary and defensive line aren't as experienced. Can linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1844312' first='Jackson' last='Henry']</strong> and defensive lineman <strong>Kapono Tuiasosopo-Seiull</strong> step up as leaders? We also liked what we saw from 2028 DB <strong>Dominic Williams</strong>. Can he step up to fill holes in the secondary?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Also See: <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/10-to-know-class-of-2028-breakouts/">10 Breakout Candidates in the 2028 Class</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We'll learn a lot about how these teams have changed over the offseason. Has West Carteret taken a step forward? Has Jacksonville lost a step?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Sanderson vs. Ashley</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sometimes I'm excited for a game because I know a lot about the teams. Other times, I'm excited because I don't.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is one of the latter. I really don't know what to make of either of these teams and I admittedly haven't seen much film on the Ashley Screaming Eagle at all, especially after they lost the majority of their offensive production last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We do know a bit about athlete <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1293228' first='Jahlil' last='Bryant']</strong>, a guy who has played corner in the past, but has the athleticism to play some receiver. Given that Ashley lost all but five receptions off of last year's team, I wonder whether we'll see him play both ways. The ball skills are there, as is the size.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Linebacker <strong>Adrian Gaines</strong> is the only guy who finished in the top nine on the team in tackles who returns this year, while edge rusher <strong>Caden Krause</strong> is the only player on the roster who had a sack last season. It's a big rebuild for a team that finished 9-3 last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/august-rankings-update-behind-the-scenes-of-the-2028-class/">Also See: Behind the Scenes of the 2028 Class</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sanderson is in a similar situation. The Spartans lost their quarterback to transfer, but picked up intriguing former 8-man running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1238396' first='Ben' last='Young III']</strong> from St. David's. Obviously, there will be an adjustment to the competition level, but he averaged nearly 200 yards a game and 10 yards a carry. He'll join returning Sanderson starter <strong>Keon Hood</strong> in what could be a good backfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It looks like the Spartans will roll with sophomore <strong>Chase Bowie</strong> at quarterback. He provides a bit of a rushing threat, especially in the zone read game, which could give the offense another dimension. The Spartans lost to Wilson Prep in their final preseason tune-up but I've heard they've looked promising otherwise, so I'm interested to see what this team can be.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Princeton vs. Ayden-Grifton</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While it's definitely nice to see the top, top teams in the state, I actually think that in the first few weeks of the non-conference it's more important (and more fun) to watch the teams looking to turn the corner from good to great. That's the matchup we get when Princeton hosts Ayden-Grifton in what could be a preview of some 3A sleepers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trust me, from ranking the top 10 3A teams for our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/prep-redzone-3a-preseason-all-state-team/">3A All-State Team</a>, there are about 20 teams fighting for the couple of spots right behind the 2-3 favorites. A lucky bounce or big play could be the difference between a four seed and a 24 seed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oh, and these teams have two of the best do-it-all players in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It all starts with sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1616304' first='Teo' last='McPhatter']</strong> for Princeton, a ridiculous athlete who can realistically play four or five positions. As a freshman, he ran for over 1,700 yards and 27 touchdowns, picked off three passes (returning one for a touchdown) and played a ton of quarterback for the Bulldogs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Also See: <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/07/predicting-every-teams-mvp-eastern-plains-2a-3a/">Eastern Plains 2A/3A Preview</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He was so good last season, that people apparently forgot about <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1844355' first='Austin' last='LeWallen']</strong>, a bigger, more powerful back who ran for 2,600 yards as a sophomore. He put up nearly 1,200 yards last season for the Bulldogs and it's not out of the question that the two could again approach or pass 3,000 yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not to be outdone, Ayden-Grifton has their own star. Offensively, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1704839' first='EJ' last='Ruffin']</strong> had 1,200 rushing yards, nearly 250 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. Defensively, he finished second on the team with 82 total tackles, picked off six passes, and forced five fumbles. He had three defensive touchdowns and scored as a kick returner as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Also look out for Ayden-Grifton receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1704848' first='Nygel' last='Morgan']</strong> and linebacker and short-yardage back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1704843' first='Loyalty' last='Fuller']</strong>. These are two experienced teams who are looking to take the next step into the 3A conversation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And yeah, if you want a matchup of elite athletes, you might want to go to Princeton this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Who should we preview next week? Let me know on Twitter (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>)</em>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->