Preview: Unity Reed Lions vs. Gainesville Cardinals
After three games on the road, Unity Reed is heading back home. They will take on The Gainesville Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Friday, Unity Reed got themselves on the board against Osbourn Park, but Osbourn Park never followed suit. They took their game on the road with ease, bagging a 47-0 win over the Yellowjackets.
Meanwhile, Gainesville stacked a fourth blowout onto their ever-increasing hoard on Friday. They claimed a resounding 51-18 victory over Freedom at home. Given Gainesville's advantage in MaxPreps' Virginia football rankings (they are ranked 62nd, while Freedom is ranked 200th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Gainesville relied on the efforts of Aidan McClafferty, who picked up 345 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and Colton Kilmer, who threw for 440 yards and five touchdowns while completing 76.5% of his passes. McClafferty's longest reception was for an incredible 88 yards. Wyatt Bach was another key contributor, picking up 87 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Unity Reed's win pushed their record up to 2-7, while Gainesville's bumped their own up to the opposite: 7-2.
Everything came up roses for Unity Reed against Gainesville in their previous matchup back in October of 2022 as the squad secured a 48-21 win. Does Unity Reed have another victory up their sleeve, or will Gainesville turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
