Kinston’s Khari Pitts tries to elude Washington defenders during a game Sept. 27. Photo by William ‘Bud’ Hardy / Neuse News

By Junious Smith III

This week is going to prove plenty across the area.

As conference play heats up, there are some titanic matchups across the board where teams have a prime opportunity to show how good they are (or not). Here is the breakdown of all five matchups across the area.

Of the teams not listed, Greene Central played Wednesday and Bethel Christian matchup against Wilson Community Christian was cancelled due to the Cyclones not having enough players.

Kinston (3-3, 0-1) at South Lenoir (2-3, 0-1)

Last game: Vikings fell to Washington 27-14 Sept. 27, Blue Devils fell to West Craven 45-0 Sept. 27

Last matchup: Kinston won 45-0 Oct. 2, 2018

The Vikings are certainly foaming at the mouth after last week’s loss to Washington and are facing an opponent they have defeated 13 consecutive times. The Blue Devils will look to put up more than a resistance and in their last match with Kinston in Deep Run, it was 22-13 at halftime before the Vikings pulled away with 14 in the second half.

This will also be the first leg of the Jimmy Smith Cup, a battle between the three public schools in Lenoir County — Kinston, North Lenoir and South Lenoir — to see who will acquire bragging rights as the top football school between them.

Publisher’s Note: Catch this game LIVE on Facebook with hosts Graham Hill and Parker Mitchell. Their pregame coverage will begin at 6:45 p.m. and they’ll continue our livestream to include the halftime Homecoming festivities. To watch live, visit www.facebook.com/neusenews.

North Lenoir (6-0, 1-0) at Washington (4-1, 1-0)

Last game: Hawks defeated Greene Central 22-8 Sept. 27, Pam Pack defeated Kinston 27-14 Sept. 27

Last matchup: Washington won 42-25 Nov. 9, 2018

This is a contest of teams who have accomplished plenty already, but still have a lot to prove. North Lenoir’s defense has been stifling on the way to its best start in school history and the team has matched its best win total since 2016. On the other end, Washington beat Kinston last week for the first time since 2014 and lone loss is to two-time defending 1AA champion Tarboro.

Arendell Parrott (3-2) at Grace Christian (4-1)

Last game: Patriots defeated John Paul II 50-26 Sept. 20, Eagles defeated Faith Christian 68-50 Sept. 27

Last matchup: Arendell Parrott won 62-22 Oct. 12, 2018

In the four previous matchups between the teams, the Patriots won them all by a combined score of 221-58. The closest deficit was a 52-18 effort in 2017 and APA will look to continue the trend. Still, this is not the same Grace Christian team, as the Eagles are off to the best start in school history and have already tied a record in victories.

West Craven (3-2, 1-0) at Ayden-Grifton (4-0, 0-0)

Last game: Chargers defeated North Pitt 44-12 Sept. 20, Eagles defeated South Lenoir 45-0 Sept. 27

Last matchup: West Craven won 16-14 Oct. 25, 2018

In the two matchups since the Eagles came to the Eastern Carolina 2A Conference, the Chargers lost in defensive struggles. As both teams boast great defenses coming into Friday’s contest, trends could continue. Although West Craven has two losses on its resume, one was a 27-26 defeat to 4A South Central and the second was to 3A powerhouse Havelock.

Williamston Riverside (2-4, 0-1) at Jones Senior (0-6, 0-1)

Last game: Trojans fell to Pinetown Northside 63-0 Sept. 27, Knights fell to Pamlico County 72-56 Sept. 27

Last matchup: Williamston Riverside won 55-6 Oct. 16, 2018

The Trojans had a chance this week to catch their breath after facing a brutal three-game, eight-day schedule. Still, it will take a herculean effort to topple the Knights, who fell in a shootout last week and have scored 40 points or more in half of their games.