5 things to know ahead of Venice-Bishop Verot matchup

Friday night features one of Southwest Florida’s top programs pitted against one of the South Suncoast’s best

Venice High running back Jamarice Wilder (#3) is pursued downfield as he breaks free for for a big gain. The Venice High Indians hosted the Miami Northwestern Bulls in a non-conference game Friday evening, Aug. 30, 2024. / Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

It doesn’t get too much better than this when you’re putting the 239 up against the 941.

On Friday night, the Venice Indians (2-0) will make the short drive down Interstate 75 South to take on the Bishop Verot Vikings (2-0).

5 things to know ahead of Cocoa-IMG Academy Top 25 football showdown

5 things to know ahead of Lakeland-Lake Mary tilt

• TOP 25 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE | RECRUITING UPDATES

Both teams are ranked in the latest SBLive Florida Top 25 high school football rankings and put their undefeated records to the test against one another.

We will be hand for the highly anticipated contest, but before that happens we give you 5 things to know ahead of time before the Indians and Vikings clash.

Bishop Verot must stop Venice’s Jamarice Wilder in order to win

Wilder ran wild in last week's 48-42 overtime victory over Miami Northwestern and was one of the primary reasons the Inians won. The James Madison commitment rushed for 314 yards on 37 carries and scored two touchdowns. In order for Bishop Verot to pull off the minor upset, they'll need to find a way to contain the bruising runner. If Wilder runs like he did last week, it could be a long night for Richie Rode's Vikings.

Venice looks to make the game a track meet

Through two games played, the one consistent is Venice can score points. A lot of them. The Indians are averaging a staggering 55.5 points per contest against formidable opponents in Miami Northwestern and Tampa Bay Tech. If you think the gameplan will be any different when they visit Sunrise Drive on Friday night, you'd be dead wrong. The Indians will look to keep up their torried pace against a Bishop Verot team that is coming off a 55-12 thrashing of Tampa Catholic. Can the Vikings keep up is going to be the question.

Jayce Nixon must play role of playmaker in this one

The senior quarterback kind of gets lost in the sauce when it comes to the bevy of offensive stars the Indians have on offense. When you have players like Wilder and 2026 dynamo Winston Watkins Jr. besides you, it's understandable why some people may overlook Nixon. The southpaw will be expected to make some key plays for Venice on Friday night as he did late versus Miami Northwestern. Peacock called on Nixon to make a key fourth down throw that led to a first down and eventually the game-tying field goal. That's the kind of trust Peacock will need to instill once again in Fort Myers.

Dorien Irving-Jones will have an impact

Let's not forget there's another pretty talented running back next to Wilder and Nixon. Irving-Jones showed over the spring he's more than capable of being the bellcow for the team and scored the game-winning touchdown last week, proving to be a difference maker. The running back has rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns and could see plenty of time against the Vikings.

Carter Smith/De’Shon Jenkins tandem is deadly

We're stating the obvious, we know. Carter Smith, a Michigan commitment, has continued to show his abilities as a passer and a runner so far this season. Smith has accounted for 441 all-purpose yards and seven touchdowns this season. Next to Smith is the big brusing running back, De'Shon Jenkins, right next to him. Jenkins has proven to be a difficult back to take down for any would-be defender as the junior has rushed for 175 yards and two scores. Venice will need to keep both players in check if they want to return back home with a 3-0 record.

50 things we observed from Florida's high school football Week 2 action

50 Week 3 Florida high school football games to watch

Top 25 Florida high school football rankings (9/1/2024)

---

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl