Football Preview: Phoenix Christian Cougars vs. Cortez Colts
Phoenix Christian has gone 3-0 against Cortez recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Phoenix Christian Cougars will look to defend their home field against the Cortez Colts at 7:00 p.m. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 873 yards in their previous games.
Cortez is hoping to do what Camp Verde couldn't last Friday: put an end to Phoenix Christian's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Phoenix Christian walked away with a 20-13 win over Camp Verde.
Cashis Grimwade was a one-man wrecking crew for Phoenix Christian as he picked up 111 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Grimwade was no stranger to the big play, connecting on a big catch that went for 59 yards. Phoenix Christian also got a significant boost from Kevin Palafox, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 96 yards.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Phoenix Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 281 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 156 rushing yards in seven consecutive contests.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Phoenix Christian's defense and their four sacks. In that department, Aaron Whitten was the leader with two.
Meanwhile, a victory for Cortez just wasn't in the cards on Friday as the squad wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They took a blow against Camp Verde, falling 65-34. The Colts haven't had much luck with the Cowboys recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.
Despite the loss, Cortez had strong showings from Jamerrius Anthony, who rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and Michael Anthony, who rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 10.0 yards per carry. Those 200 rushing yards gave Michael a new career-high.
Cortez wouldn't let Camp Verde keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Cortez can thank Julian Cabrera and Anthony for forcing both of them. That high mark didn't come from nowhere: Anthony posted at least 150 rushing yards in the third games prior.
Phoenix Christian pushed their record up to 6-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. As for Cortez, they now have a losing record at 3-4.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Phoenix Christian has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 291 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Cortez struggles in that department as they've been averaging 206.3. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Phoenix Christian against Cortez when the teams last played back in October of 2023, as the team secured a 42-7 victory. In that match, Phoenix Christian amassed a halftime lead of 21-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
