The Elyria Catholic Panthers will head out on the road to square off against the Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy Royals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Elyria Catholic has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with three straight losses, while Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy will come in with eight straight wins.
Elyria Catholic is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Panthers lost 45-21 to the Lions. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio football rankings (they are ranked 293rd, while the Lions are ranked 89th).
Despite the defeat, Elyria Catholic had strong showings from Corey Armelin, who rushed for 75 yards and one touchdown, and Mikey Bates Jr, who rushed for 81 yards and one TD on only six carries.
Meanwhile, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy was fully in charge on Friday, breezing past Padua Franciscan 42-7. The Royals might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by 28 points or more this season.
Elyria Catholic better keep an eye on Charley Levak. He was instrumental in Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy's win, rushing for 98 yards and one score on only five carries, while also throwing for 81 yards and three touchdowns on only seven passes. That's the most rushing yards Levak has posted since back in October of 2024.
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Padua Franciscan to a completion percentage of just 44.4%. The Royals weren't nearly as limited: they posted one of 57.1%.
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy's victory bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Elyria Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 3-6.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Elyria Catholic has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 167.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 322.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
