Football Preview: Davidson Academy Bears vs. Pope John Paul II Knights
The Davidson Academy Bears are on the road again on Friday to play the Pope John Paul II Knights at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Davidson Academy's defense heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They took their matchup on the road with ease, bagging a 42-0 win over St. George's. That looming 42-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Bears yet this season.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Davidson Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 231 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2023.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Davidson Academy's defense and their seven sacks. In that department, Wes Harper was the leader with two. He also set a new season high mark in receiving yards with 82.
Meanwhile, in a tight game that could have gone either way, Pope John Paul II made off with a 27-26 victory over Goodpasture Christian. Given the Knights' advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee football rankings (they are ranked 92nd, while the Cougars are ranked 208th), the result on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Hudson Curlee went supernova for Pope John Paul II, picking up 139 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Jackson Vonderharr got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Davidson Academy now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Pope John Paul II, their win ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-3.
Everything went Davidson Academy's way against Pope John Paul II when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as Davidson Academy made off with a 36-15 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Pope John Paul II's Elijah Robb, who rushed for 215 yards and a touchdown. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Davidson Academy to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
