Maybe the third game is charm for the North Moore Mustangs football team.

Losers of their first two games played in Robbins, the Mustangs are seeking their first win of the season against South Robeson at 7 p.m. today.

South Robeson also enters the contest 0-2.

North Moore head coach knows his team is in for a tussle, despite the record.

"They are a fast, athletic team," Cleaveland said of South Robeson.

The South Robeson Mustangs enter the contest off a 12-0 home loss to Lakewood. In that game the Mustangs were victimized by four turnovers and play that their head coach Lacroy McRae called "unacceptable."

Turnovers have plagued North Moore in its first two contests, too.

The Mustangs from Robbins worked on handling the football this week in practice. In the first two games of the season the Mustangs have fumbled the ball away six times.

"We have to improve our ball security," Cleaveland said.

South Robeson promises to provide a stern test for the North Moore defense. Against Lakewood a quartet of skill position players helped South Robeson rush for more than 200 yards:

wide receiver Nick Alford, running backs Raheem Braden and Avis Johnson and quarterback Dicorion Leach.

The South Robeson defense was stout after allowing touchdowns on Lakewood's first two possessions, the Mustangs clamped down. The defense created three turnovers, two fumbles and a pick and stopped the Lakewood offense on all four fourth down conversion attempts.

North Moore's offense broke a seven-quarter scoreless streak in the fourth quarter of Monday's 47-8 loss to Union Pines when quarterback Xavier Scotten connected with wide-out Lyle Barnett for a 5-yard touchdown on a fourth and goal play.

Scotten, who completed four of 14 passes for 77 yards with one touchdown and an interception, then connected with with Harold Chandler for the two-point conversion.

The homestanding Mustangs will look to build on that success. In the first two games of the season turnovers have doomed the offense. In a 25-0 loss to Princeton the Mustangs gained 70 yards of total offense. Against Union Pines they amassed 81 yards -- 76 of those passing.

The Mustang defense has been on the field for extended periods of time in the Mustangs' opening two games. Opponents have averaged 280 yards per game against the Mustang defense.