Northshore’s Panthers and the Mandeville Skippers do battle in a district game tonight at NHS.

Northshore (2-6, 2-3) comes in after falling to the Covington Lions 41-31. Mandeville (5-3, 4-1) defeated Hammond 43-20 last week.

The Skippers captured last season’s meeting 14-7.

MHS running back Charles Jones makes a cut behind a block in last Friday night’s game against Hammond. The Skippers head to NHS to face the Panthers tonight. (File Photo by Gwen Ladner)

Mandeville coach Guy LeCompte said Northshore is a talented group.

“Offensively, they have enough speed to create big plays,” LeCompte said. They get after you defensively and try to play in the backfield. Both side of the ball give them big-play potential.”

LeCompte added that it’s a big game.

“The way the power points work, you never feel comfortable. There are a lot of things you can’t control. We just focus on what we can control,” LeCompte said.

Both teams run spread offenses. For Mandeville, senior quarterback John Wenzel leads the group.

Last week, he clicked on 12-of-18 passes for 207 yards and a three-yard touchdown toss to Everett Ellefsen. Wenzel also ran four times for 35 yards and a score. This season, Wenzel is 105-of-198 for six TDs and seven interceptions. He’s run for 211 yards and a pair of scores.

Sophomore running back Charles Jones heads up the rushing attack. Last week, he went for 112 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. For the year, he has 599 yards on 116 totes and eight scores. Jones also has 14 catches for 87 yards.

The wide receivers are Tyler Spotts, Chris Houlemard and Elijah Leveé.

Spotts caught four passes for 34 yards last week, while Houlemard fninished with two receptions for 42 yards and Leveé had two catches for 17 yards.

For the season, Spotts has hauled in 24 passes for 386 yards and one touchdown. Houlemard’s caught 23 balls for 307 yards and two scores. Leveé’s made 22 receptions for 258 yards and three touchdowns.

Defensively, senior Kris Rice tops the Skippers in tackles with 41. He’s assisted on 28 and has three stops behind the line. Rice has also forced two fumbles, recovered three, picked off three passes, while returning one for a touchdowns and defended four passes.

Linebacker Derek Brown has made 31 stops, while picking off two passes and defending 10.

Senior linebacker Zachary Ferger’s been in on 31 tackles with five behind the line to go with two forced fumbles and two recoveries. Lineman Darrell Adams leads Mandeville with three sacks.

For Northshore, the Panthers got down 27-10 in the early in the third quarter.

NHS scored 14-straight points to make it 27-24. Senior Chase Compton is the quarterback.

Last week, he completed 10-of-21 for 112 yards and two touchdowns, while also running for another.

His two main wide receivers are Trevor Harrison and Adam Chopin. Harrison finished last week with seven catches for 94-yards and two touchdowns.

Chopin returns tonight after missing last week due to a concussion.

The running back is Patrick Johnson. Last Friday, he carried the ball eight times for 31 yards.

Fullback Alex Black scored for Northshore on a three-yard run.

Defensively, Northshore bases out of the 4-3. Black, playing both ways last week, recovered a fumble that set up his touchdown run.

Northshore coach Mike Bourg said defensive back Dwayne Joseph has been playing well for his unit.

“He’s a good football player. He’s steady every week. As an overall group, we just haven’t got the job done,” Bourg said.