North Little Rock Coach J.R. Eldridge without top running back Friday.
North Little Rock will be without its top offensive playmaker when it returns to action after a one-week hiatus.
Coach J.R. Eldridge told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Wednesday that senior running back Fredrick O’Donald will miss Friday’s game at Little Rock Catholic because of an ankle injury.
O’Donald, a senior who leads the Charging Wildcats in rushing with 615 yards and 8 touchdowns on 59 carries this season, injured his right ankle on the team’s opening play on a 7-yard run against Conway on Oct. 2. The Charging Wildcats did not play last week after their game against Little Rock Southwest was cancelled because of covid-19 issues.
Eldridge said that a return date for O’Donald was not known Wednesday.
Despite O’Donald’s injury, North Little Rock earned a 39-37 victory over Conway. Senior Aaron Sims finished with 197 yards and 2 touchdowns on 37 carries. Senior quarterback Kareame Cotton also had three rushing touchdowns and 100 yards rushing.
Eldridge said the emergence of Sims will help North Little Rock (5-0, 2-0 7A-Central Conference).
“We knew Aaron Sims could really go,” Eldridge said. “He’s had good games. But he was really able to carry the load for us at Conway.”
The Charging Wildcats face Little Rock Catholic (2-4, 0-3 7A-Central) at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
The Rockets won last year’s meeting in North Little Rock 41-21, snapping the Charging Wildcats’ 30game conference winning streak that had started in 2015. Eldridge was still in Arkadelphia last season and wasn’t on the sidelines for the Charging Wildcats. But his players are aware of what happened a year ago.
“I’m not looking at their record,” Eldridge said. “We know how hard they play. They’re a good football team.
“They’re very disciplined in what they do.”