3 Week 4 Games To Watch in the 336

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season rolls on as the conference slate starts for a handful of schools around the state. For others, the nonconference season continues. Looking around the state, the Triad looks like one of the best areas this week to hone in on particular matchups. Here are three that have my attention in the 336.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Three Triad Games To Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Southern Alamance @ Southeast Alamance</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Undefeated county foes face off, and I'm more than a little intrigued. The Southern Alamance rushing attack has been among the best in the state, led by junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2144167' first='Sincere' last='Thompson']</strong>. Thompson is coming off of a two-game stretch in which he had nearly 675 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Patriots have tons of young talent and are among the most liberal teams in the state when it comes to deploying freshmen. Two-way player <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2344542' first='Triston' last='Harrison']</strong>, defensive back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2387073' first='Ian' last='Burgess']</strong>, and offensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2347834' first='Caden' last='Brooks']</strong> are among the Class of 2030 players making an impact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Southeast Alamance has looked quietly strong this year. It's a clash of styles as the Stallions will want to air it out. The receiving corps is arguably the best in the 5A class, led by South Carolina commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2145139' first='Joseph' last='Gibbs']</strong>, talented route-runner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1213741' first='Logan' last='Luang-Sy']</strong>, and the shifty <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2147844' first='Jatay' last='McMillan']</strong>. The Stallions also have FIU commit <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='668611' first='Drew' last='Easter']</strong>, one of the top tight ends in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, I'm interested to see how a strong secondary comes down and tackles in the running game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2100553' first='Brandon' last='Lindsey']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1952814' first='Alex' last='Parrish']</strong> are excellent cover guys. Can they be physical in the running game?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ultimately, it'll be up to the front seven, led by Easter, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1134073' first='Jaud' last='Goosby']</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1215643' first='Zaydin' last='Harris']</strong> to contain Thompson. The battle between the lines (as Southern Alamance's offensive line, led by senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2149073' first='Hasan' last='Miller']</strong>, is talented and—outside of Brooks—experienced) will be fascinating. I expect a ton of points in this one, and wouldn't be surprised to see two explosive offenses... explode. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Oak Grove @ Davie County</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a matchup of a top offense and elite defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davie County is well-balanced offensively. Quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1616211' first='Draeton' last='Nance']</strong> and receiver <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1646712' first='Noah' last='Dulin']</strong> have been on fire this season, connecting 12 times for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns. The biggest difference, though, is the improved running game. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2387321' first='Braxton' last='Bowling']</strong> is having a career year, averaging over 10 yards per carry and scoring six touchdowns in three games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oak Grove's defense has been fantastic, holding nine of its last 11 opponents under 20 points dating back to last season. Linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1106598' first='Bradley' last='Byrd']</strong> is having a huge season, with 33 tackles in three games. Defensive lineman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2240689' first='Marquis' last='Cody']</strong>, defensive back <strong>Lathan Pruitt</strong>, and the rest of the defense do a great job of keeping everything in front of them. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Can <strong>Kamari McFadden</strong> and the Oak Grove offense find enough firepower to stress <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='918776' first='Elijah' last='Chaffin']</strong> and the War Eagle defense?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Northeast Guilford @ Dudley</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This top game has serious implications. Dudle loaded up the nonconference against some of the state's big boys, getting into the win column in Week 3 with an impressive shutout win over Hillside. That's great for playoff seeding, if the Panthers can win all of their winnable non-conference games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the flip side, Northeast Guilford eased into the season, before two difficult road games heading into the conference slate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>To me, the matchup is the Dudley running game against a stout Northeast Guilford front. Defensive linemen <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2171276' first='Suleiman' last='Solongo']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2172203' first='Antonio' last='Escobar']</strong> are part of an excellent front four. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2168236' first='Kameron' last='Abrams']</strong> and the rest of the Dudley offensive line could have their hands full.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That said, the Panthers handled a strong front last week, and running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2166452' first='Michael' last='Boone']</strong> was finally able to get going. Of course, the Panthers have some talent on the outside, too, in multifaceted athletes <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607877' first='Vermont' last='Carmack']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1788198' first='Saimair' last='Horton']</strong>. If they can't run the ball, defending the pass becomes easier. But if the Dudley backs find room, it opens up space for everyone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the other side, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2165785' first='Zorian' last='Campbell']</strong> is off to a strong start at receiver and running back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1171138' first='Jabari' last='Johnson']</strong> is always dangerous. A win for the Rams would put them in prime position to put together an excellent season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Which other games need to be on our radar? Let me know on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>). Lock in on Prep Redzone for more preview content.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->