North Meck at Hopewell - Overall Standouts

<p>The North Meck Vikings won their 7th straight in the Battle of the Shield rivalry series against the Hopewell Titans, 17-10 in a rugged, defensive-oriented battle. North Meck blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown, Hopewell blocked a punt and received a safety, and both teams scored one offensive touchdown each. There were standout players from both teams in this game, and we'll take a look at them in this article. </p>    <p class="text-gray-700">I thought Bryant was the best player overall on the field on Friday Night. North Meck got Bryant the ball on offense on a couple of jet sweep plays that were very effective early in the game, and helped set up their offensive scores of a field goal on their first drive, and a touchdown on their second drive. Defensively, Bryant had a would-be pick-6 wiped out due to a roughing the passer penalty, and he flat-out dropped another interception near the end zone. Nevertheless, his instincts and ball skills from his safety position kept Hopewell from going at him in the passing game in the middle of the field, where he pretty much stayed in their Cover 1/Cover 3 shell-based defense. I talked with Bryant after the game. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/pepman704/status/1969277040302899308 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">I thought Mi'kel was the best offensive lineman overall in this game, as the Vikings had all of their offensive yardage on the ground, not completing a pass in this game at all. The Vikings found success running behind Mi'kel on a consistent basis offensively. However, Mi'kel's most impactful play was blocking a field goal attempt Hopewell had in the 3rd quarter, down 10-8, that would have given them the lead. With Mi'kel's block being returned for a touchdown by teammate Ky-Mani Scruse, this was a major turning point in the game. I spoke to Mi'kel Bellamy after the game. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/pepman704/status/1969283400038011026 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">I was really impressed with Gabriel in this game; he was the leading rusher in the game between both teams, rushing for 158 yards on 20 carries for the Vikings. Gabriel moved really well with the ball in his hands, using excellent vision to knife through the Titans' defense for multiple big gains on carries. Although Gabriel didn't get into the end zone, I thought he was the most valuable player offensively for North Meck in this game. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">After Hopewell blocked a punt for a safety, making the score 17-10 in the 4th quarter, the Titans had the ball at midfield on a 3rd down, and Darius stepped and made the play of the game, picking off an attempted screen pass that was tipped, and running it back into Hopewell territory on the return. Darius showed some nice speed, athleticism, and reaction ability on this play, which ended up sealing the deal for the Vikings, as they were able to run the clock out after this play. I spoke to Darius after the game. </p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/pepman704/status/1969284042294964259 </div></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">Zac was the most productive player for the Titans on Friday Night, coming off a huge game the previous week. Zac rushed for 127 yards on 13 carries, a lot of that coming early in the game as Jones had a huge run that set up the only Hopewell touchdown of the game in the first quarter. I like Zac's vision and how he uses his blocks to set up when he explodes through a hole, or controls his burst into space to the outside. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">JT Williams had the lone touchdown of the game, a short pass in the red zone from Titans QB Malachi Goudelock. JT was one of the primary wide receivers, as he was targeted in a number of high-leverage situations when the Titans needed something in the passing game. I think JT showed some good speed in the open field and ran some good routes to get separation against both man and zone coverages. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">I was impressed with Naiel overall - he picked up a key sack from his linebacker position in the first quarter, forcing the Vikings to a field goal attempt instead of a potential touchdown on their opening drive. Naiel has some good speed, and Titans defensive coordinator Anthony Hackett gives Naiel some latitude to make some decisions defensively that you typically don't see from a high school freshman. Naiel will be a player to watch throughout his career. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Miles was definitely a true athlete for the Titans in this game. Miles played some wildcat quarterback, receiver, and some defense as well. Miles had 27 yards rushing on 4 carries, 3 catches for 48 yards, and 4 tackles on defense. A captain for the Titans, Miles made some plays offensively to keep some important drives alive when they were attempting to get back into the game. His play has been important so far this season as they are much improved from previous years. </p>

The North Meck Vikings won their 7th straight in the Battle of the Shield rivalry series against the Hopewell Titans, 17-10 in a rugged, defensive-oriented battle. North Meck blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown, Hopewell blocked a punt and received a safety, and both teams scored one offensive touchdown each. There were standout players from both teams in this game, and we'll take a look at them in this article.