The Week 8 Alpaca Chicken Game of the Week features a pair of top contenders in the 6A East, both looking to create some separation as they near the end of the regular season.

The No. 24 team in the HighSchoolOT Statewide Top 25, Jacksonville High School, will travel to play undefeated No. 18 J.H. Rose. The matchup should have major implications for the Big Carolina 6A/7A Conference title. The Cardinals are the defending league champions.

Alpaca Peruvian Chicken is the presenting sponsor of this year’s live broadcast. Contact your local Alpaca for your catering needs.

Fans can download the Alpaca app and make an account today to receive a dessert.

The broadcast will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 9, with J. Mike Blake and Laieke Abebe on the call. You can find it on HighSchoolOT.com, YouTube, X, and Facebook.

The hosting Rampants enter the week an unblemished 6-0 overall and 1-0 in league play following last week’s 43-0 victory at South Central. J.H. Rose boasts wins over Northern Nash and reigning 6A runner-up Middle Creek this season. The Rampants beat the Mustangs, 36-25, on Sept. 18.

J.H. Rose is led by junior wide receiver/cornerback Jaleek Parson, who has drawn Division I interest, including an offer from East Carolina. Senior quarterback Chase Davis has already thrown for 1,278 yards through six games on 66.2% completion. His ability to connect with targets like Parson will be crucial for JHR.

A season ago, the Rampants lost at Jacksonville, 35-21, on Oct. 10, 2025. The Cardinals went on to blaze all the way to the 6A East Regional Final before dropping to Middle Creek; it was their first and only loss of the 2025 season.

Jacksonville is hoping to make another deep playoff push in 2026, but J.H. Rose could be one of its main obstacles. Although, the Cardinals currently maintain a three-game winning streak against the Rampants.

This year, Jacksonville is 4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference. The lone blemish came in Week 2 to crosstown foe Northside-Jacksonville. The No. 22 Monarchs, which are a veteran contender in the 5A East, won this year’s installment of the rivalry, 14-6 in a defensive-minded battle.

Through five games, Jacksonville has given up just 39 combined points, i.e., 7.8 points per game. A big contributor for the defense is junior 4-star cornerback Domonic Williams Jr., who is rated as the No. 4 player in North Carolina for the class of 2028 per 247sports’ recruiting rankings.

Offensively, the Cards have put up at least 42 points in each of their four winning efforts. A college of Cardinal rushers have helped shoulder the team’s ground attack. Seniors Amari Peterson and Montez Jimenez have been particularly effective.

After the game, tune in to the HighSchoolOT Postgame Show presented by Talk it Out NC as the team recaps the game and hears updates from other contests across the state.

Previous Alpaca Games of the Week: