Football Game Preview: Bishop Watterson Eagles vs. Bishop Hartley Hawks

Two dominant backs in Jack McCoy and Robert Lathon are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Bishop Watterson Eagles will be playing at home against the Bishop Hartley Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Bishop Watterson's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last four matchups.

The home team had come away the winner the last four times Bishop Watterson and St. Francis DeSales had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Eagles blew past the Stallions 42-7 last Friday. Considering the Eagles have won five contests by more than 21 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Bishop Watterson can attribute much of their success to Caden Mangini, who rushed for 123 yards on only 11 carries, and Carter Bellisari, who picked up 66 receiving yards and one score. Mangini's longest rush was for an impressive 68 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Bishop Watterson was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 278 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 244 rushing yards in three consecutive games.

Bishop Watterson didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Nate Henderson. Another thorn in St. Francis DeSales' side was Michael Boyle, who picked up three sacks and made 16 total tackles (5.0 for loss).

Meanwhile, Bishop Hartley fell victim to Walsh Jesuit and their airtight defense on Friday. They were beaten by the Warriors 49-0. Having soared to a lofty 40 points in the game before, the Hawks' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Bishop Watterson's win bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Bishop Hartley, their defeat was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 4-3.

Bishop Watterson strolled past Bishop Hartley when the teams last played back in September of 2024 by a score of 28-13. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.