Marion County high school football game of the week: North Marion vs. Vanguard

Like much of Florida, Marion County received a Week Six bye because of Hurricane Ian. Now teams and fans are as hungry for football as they were at the start of the season.

The game of the week is brought to you by the top two public school teams in Ocala, North Marion (2-3) vs. Vanguard (2-3). Both teams are coming off losses, and after strong starts, neither wants to continue their current skid.

Let’s get into the storylines coming into Friday's clash of the titans.

High school sports tracker: Marion County highlights and schedule this week

Marion County high school football: Live Football Scores Around Marion County

A look at Vanguard after losses

The Knights, who are the home team, have tasted defeat twice this season. The most recent came in Week Five against Buchholz. They’ve yet to lose back-to-back games and don’t have any plans to start this Friday.

“Just play with a level head, stay focused, and play assignment football," Vanguard coach Edwin Farmer said. "Those are things we do well when we’re on our A game. We play assignment football; we play well. We do everything we’re supposed to.”

In every game this season, Vanguard has been competitive, losing by a combined 11 points or less per game. Get your tickets and popcorn if the Knights' 21-20 victory over Dunnellon is any sign of what’s in store. It will be worth it.

Colts play twice in a week

North Marion comes into Friday’s game four days after losing to Eastside. The rescheduled game cuts into practice and rehab time, but head coach Gregg Carr isn’t too worried about the quick turnaround.

“It’s just what the job calls for sometimes. It’s no different than guys being in college playing on a Saturday night and then playing on a Thursday night," Carr said. "It’s something the guys aren’t too familiar with, but our guys are in shape and ready to go. I have no doubts about our guys being able to get it done.”

The Carr era only spans three years, but North Marion never has played a game with this sort of turnaround. Carr isn’t worried. When you start your varsity head coaching career during COVID, every obstacle after that feels like a speed bump.

Battle of the best public schools

Vanguard has sharpened its skills against some of the best football teams in the state. North Marion has flexed its dominance in the county, with its losses coming from outsiders. Regarding talent and records, these are the best programs in the area.

The Knights have tested their might all season long. Coach Farmer points to learning from each game as a way to prepare for the next.

“I thought we played great football against Niceville. Just missed a couple of assignments that we’re looking to improve on," he said. "Our biggest thing is making sure we improve on those and not have those missing assignments. We had a ball that we dropped early in the end zone there. That would have put us ahead. We jumped offsides. We want to stay away from the simple mistakes and keep the chains moving. Definitely stay away from penalties and just play good football.”

Despite the two losses, North Marion still hasn’t given up an offensive touchdown this season. Their defense has been an anchor, but the offense has sputtered despite scoring the second most touchdowns in the county. Only Vanguard has touched the end zone more often.

“Our defense has to continue to play well, and the offense just has to pick it up and play our part,” Carr said.

North Marion’s already played under a microscope with the battle of the undefeated in Week Three’s 26-13 win over Belleview. Vanguard has played under one, too, with two of its last four games coming against state champion hopefuls.

Now it’s time for each team to play under the brightest lights in a stadium filled with friends and family.

Keys to victory

“We talked about adversity in regards to the situation. It’s going to be a big crowd. A lot of Vanguard fans, a lot of North Marion fans. Vanguard and North Marion games always bring the city out. No distractions and staying focused on what we came to do: win the football game. The crowd will be entertained based on what we do right. When we play good assignment football, good things happen.” - Vanguard head coach Edwin Farmer

“Just playing good football. We know they’re a talented team. Coming out and playing our brand of football. Coming out and capitalizing. Taking what they give us and being North Marion. Knowing that we have to make our plays because I’m pretty sure they’re going to make theirs. So we have to come out and do our job. Focus and not be caught up on it being the Vanguard and North Marion game, but playing football the right way. That’s been my biggest thing all season. Just playing the game the right way regardless of who we’re playing.” - North Marion head coach Gregg Carr

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Marion County high school football North Marion vs. Vanguard