COVID-19 3, Robeson County football teams 2.

That’s the score for this week, anyway.

Three of the five Robeson County football teams are currently in quarantine, and while I don’t mean to harp on it every week, the virus and its effect on Robeson’s teams remains easily the biggest storyline of this season.

But two teams are playing (as of Thursday afternoon): Lumberton hosts Jack Britt and Fairmont travels to West Bladen.

Here are some predictions for those games:

Last week: 2-1

Overall: 9-2

Jack Britt at Lumberton

There’s no question the Pirates needed to make some changes offensively, and they’ve done so this week, openly stating they’re going to play a “smashmouth” brand of run-heavy offense the rest of the way. Questions do remain, however, how effective a new offense can be after it is installed midway through the season.

Jack Britt, though 1-2, has shown the ability to put a lot of points on the board while also holding the opposition off the scoreboard.

The Pirates could show some improvement on Friday night — although, to be blunt, it can’t get much worse. But while they may get some work done on “closing the gap” — coach Adam Deese’s words — the gap looks to be too wide to earn a victory.

Jack Britt 35, Lumberton 7

Fairmont at West Bladen

When the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s initial RPI rankings came out Tuesday, it proved statistically what Fairmont coach Lonnie Cox has said all along — that the Golden Tornadoes have played the toughest cumulative schedule in 2A football to date.

While 0-4, Fairmont has showed steady improvement through that gauntlet, and now the schedule becomes more favorable. West Bladen is 1-1 with an overtime win over a 1A East Columbus program that has struggled in recent years.

Fairmont’s only win in the truncated spring season was against West Bladen; this Fairmont team is better than last season’s, and this week the Knights will be the first team they beat this fall.

Fairmont 36, West Bladen 22