Football Preview: North Florida Christian Eagles vs. St. John Paul II Panthers
North Florida Christian has been on the road for three straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will welcome the St. John Paul II Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Given that both suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Last Friday, North Florida Christian ended up a good deal behind Valwood and lost 28-10. While losing is never fun, the Eagles can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 446th in Florida, while the Valiants are ranked 199th in Georgia).
Despite the defeat, North Florida Christian saw an underclassman step up: Marcus Rosier forced a fumble and made 14 total tackles. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 51 yards.
North Florida Christian wouldn't let Valwood keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. North Florida Christian can thank Rosier and Jaxon Gustafson for forcing both of them. Rosier is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last three games he's played.
Meanwhile, St. John Paul II was not able to break out of their rough patch two weeks ago as the team picked up their third straight loss. They lost 48-27 to IMG Academy White. The game was a 21-21 toss-up at halftime, but the Panthers couldn't quite close it out.
Gavin Ford put forth a good effort for the losing side as he threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns. What's more, he also racked up 15 rushing yards, the mosthe's had since back in October of 2023. Gavin Yates-Lyons also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
North Florida Christian's defeat was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-4. As for St. John Paul II, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.
North Florida Christian was able to grind out a solid victory over St. John Paul II in their previous meeting back in November of 2023, winning 21-14. Will North Florida Christian repeat their success, or does St. John Paul II have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
