Time: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: A.L. Brown 3-0; Porter Ridge 3-0
Series: A.L. Brown leads 4-0, although this is hardly the same Porter Ridge program the Wonders hammered from 2005-08 when the Pirates were just getting started
Last meeting: Brown won 52-0 in 2008. It was 42-0 at halftime.
Last week: Brown weathered a lightning delay and beat Rocky River 35-14 on Friday at Memorial Stadium; 4A Porter Ridge smashed perennial 2A power Forest Hills 59-20
Next week: Brown travels to Robinson to open SPC play; Porter Ridge plays at Providence Day
Game notes: While Brown already has scored 141 points, Porter Ridge has scored 177 — 59 points per game — against three programs expected to be at least decent.
It shapes up as one the games of the night, not just in the Piedmont, but in the state.
Porter Ridge coach Blair Hardin, yes, the former Wonder coaches the Pirates, has tremendous weapons in QB Lee McNeill and RB Chris Duffy.
McNeill was 15-for-19 passing for 270 yards against Forest Hills and 13-for-15 passes for 222 against Piedmont. Duffy rushed 13 times for 178 yards and three TDs against Monroe.
While Porter Ridge has a skilled team with good athletes, Davie showed in last year’s 4A playoffs that the key to beating the Pirates is being physical. Davie rushed for 298 yards in that semifinal matchup and held the Pirates to 63 rushing.
Brown didn’t run the ball especially well last week, but it had great success through the air, with Keeon Johnson making two TD catches.
Now the Wonders know they can mix it up. They’ll count on guard Zeb Ritchie to open holes for Damien Washington and Kalif Phillips and protect QB Brandon Eppinger.