MH LAWRENCE (0-4) AT RM ACADEMY (1-3)

PREGAME CHATTER: Rocky Mount Academy is playing for its second straight win and has a legit shot to pull off the feat.

WHAT IT MEANS: Things are changing at Rocky Mount Academy. But a victory tonight pulls the Eagles within one game of .500. That puts the playoffs within reach, too.

KEY MATCHUP:Linwood Jones vs. the Lawrence front seven. Adam Bayless will earn his touches, but the explosiveness of Jones is tough to contain.

PREGAME CHATTER: This one is pretty simple. Neither team has scored much lately. North Edgecombe has been shut out in consecutive games (Tarboro, Southeast Halifax) while the Jaguars scored 12 points two weeks ago against Northampton County.

WHAT IT MEANS: Both teams are desperate for wins. That should be enough.

KEY MATCHUP: Coaching staff vs. coaching staff. Which team will show some pride, make some plays and earn that elusive win?

PREGAME CHATTER: SouthWest Edgecombe should be full of confidence when it takes the field tonight. The Cougars outlasted Kinston, 56-49, on the road last week. Kinston was considered one of the three top teams in the Eastern Plains Conference. That might be, but the Cougars have an early upperhand.

WHAT IT MEANS: This contest could be considered a letdown for SouthWest Edgecombe, but the Cougars competed too hard last week to skip up in their second league game.

KEY MATCHUP: Farmville Central’s front seven vs. SW Edgecombe’s running backs. Gerald Hinton (153 yards) and Devante Williams (100 yards) were standouts in last week’s victory. It’s hard to beat the Cougars when multiple backs succeed in such a way.

– Jessie H. Nunery & Justin Hite