Preview – Southern Lee to Host Triton

The Triton Hawks will visit Southern Lee this Friday night in need of a win in the Tri-County 3A.   The short 5-game conference season doesn’t give much room for error and a road win against the Cavaliers could turn things around.   This will be a game of two eerily similar teams that will feature a lot of running.  Triton has been a running team from the start and has 2000+ yards rushing on the season and nearly 85% of their yardage comes on the ground.   Southern Lee featured a balanced offense to start the season with Thomas Harrington at QB, but Harrington’s season-ending injury has shifted the Cavalier focus to the running game.   The Cavaliers rushed for over 200 yards against Western Harnett in the conference opener and we should see more of the same this Friday.

The Matchups

When Southern Lee has the Ball

Andre McAllister took over at QB against the Eagles and the Cavaliers used the ground game effectively along with opportunistic turnover scoring to put up 42 points.   Southern will spread it around to Keshaun Mays, Rodney Ingram and McAllister on the ground and mix in their best athlete Tanoah Lockley on the ground and in the air.   Southern is scoring 30.6 points per game and Triton is giving up 32.3.   Expect the Cavaliers to move the ball and roll up some offensive numbers.   Getting the ball to Lockley is more challenging without Harrington, but the Cavs still have enough weapons to win.  

When Triton has the Ball

Romello Cowan and Travion Sanders will shoulder the load offensively for the Hawks.   The Hawks feature a wing type running game with Cowan the deep back.   He has rushed for 1000 yards in 7 games and is a tough runner between the tackles that gets to the line quickly.    Sanders is a speedster and more of an outside threat to get big chucks of yardage against the Cavaliers.   The Triton passing game has less than 400 yards on the season and will primarily focus on getting it to Sanders or Malikai McNeill.   Triton has scored 29.0 points per game and the Cavaliers give up 19.0.

The Intangibles

Southern Lee is +13 in the turnover column for the season and continues to find ways to score – returning a fumble for a TD last week as well as recovering a blocked kick in the end zone for another.   Southern had an unwanted two-week break in the schedule and should be healthy and ready for Triton.  Daniel Pisano is the Cavaliers kicker and should give the Cavs an advantage in that area.   Southern has won 4 straight and are in the middle of 5 of 6 at home.