Preview of Friday Night's Matchup: North Davidson vs Oak Grove
{ #4 Linebacker, Levi Gates, for the Grizzlies, said Oak Grove “is excited and ready, but they had to stay focused and give the best of everything because you never know when your last game may be."}
Friday Night Lights
The Knights and Grizzlies are set to square off in round two of the 2AA playoffs. This will be the fourth time in two years, the second time in three weeks and the second straight year in the playoffs that these in-county rivals face off. Anxiously, we had to know exactly what each side of the rivalries was thinking, feeling and strategizing.
Oak Grove continues to rally around the tragedy of losing a member of its community and father of fellow teammate Khaleb Craven. Head Coach Mark Holcomb said, "Everyone struggled with it. Emotions are part of football but this definitely jolted all of us." Holcomb continued.
When asked about game preparation and if they are doing anything different this week to prepare for the Black Knights, Holcomb stated, "We have no secrets, and we know each other well," when talking about North Davidson. He went on to say it was more so about execution and that they had to be more efficient offensively. It appears the Grizzlies will continue to go with the freshman, #16 Connor Creech, a quarterback they started for the first time last week in the first round of the playoffs. #63 lineman, Hunter Grieser, offered the Grizzlies are having a good, hard, tough and physically demanding week in preparation for this game.
Grieser said that emotionally they were still fired up from last year when the Knights beat them on their own turf in the playoffs and that the fire still burned in them. #4 Linebacker, Levi Gates, for the Grizzlies, said "they were excited and ready, but they had to stay focused and give the best of everything because you never know when your last game may be."
The Black Knights of North Davidson come in a little more confident being led by Head Coach Brian Flynn. Flynn said he believes they are a better team, and as long as they execute, they will be fine. Flynn also stated that having a good week of preparation and keeping emotions in check will be the focus this week. Flynn went on to say that come 7:20 p.m. Friday night, he knows Holcomb will be giving his team a motivational speech about how the Knights went to their house last year and knocked them out of the playoffs. He used that as fuel to help motivate the Grizzlies. This is what the Knights wanted, according to wide receiver/defensive back #11 Travarius Moore. They wanted to defend the castle and Palmer Field against rival Oak Grove. Moore said, "We wanted them again and preparation would be the same and they would be composed." #2 quarterback Tedric Jenkins had the same response. "It’s the same game plan and preparation. We may add a couple more coverages for the different quarterback but all else the same," said Jenkins.
Regardless of who you'll be cheering on from the stands, if you're seeking some action-packed Friday night lights, fueled by emotion, come out to North Davidson's Palmer field at 7:30 p.m. this Friday, April 23. This highly-anticipated rematch will definitely keep emotions running wild and advance one Davidson County team to the third round of the state 2AA playoffs and one step closer to that big game and championship title they both want most.
Online tickets are on sale at on GoFan.co.
https://gofan.co/app/events/302398
