After each having a week off, the Trinity Christian Academy Lions and the Donelson Christian Academy Wildcats will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Trinity Christian Academy had to skate by with only a three-point margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 35-point drubbing they dealt Fayette Academy last Friday. The Lions claimed a resounding 49-14 victory over the Vikings. The win was familiar territory for the Lions, who have now won five matchups in a row.
Owen Atwood produced another solid performance rushing for 81 yards and two TDs, while also throwing for 133 yards and one touchdown while completing 83.3% of his passes. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 62 yards. Gabe Lee was another key receiver, picking up 115 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Trinity Christian Academy, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Lee, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Donelson Christian Academy got themselves on the board against Clarksville Academy last Friday, but Clarksville Academy never followed suit. They really took it to the Cougars for the full four quarters, racking up a 40-0 victory. The Wildcats haven't had any issues with the Cougars recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.
Trinity Christian Academy better keep an eye on King Gardner. He was instrumental in Donelson Christian Academy's win, rushing for 154 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 7.7 yards per carry, and also picking up 70 receiving yards. That's the most rushing yards Gardner has posted since back in October of 2024.
Donelson Christian Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 263 rushing yards. They are a perfect 4-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Donelson Christian Academy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Tristan Smith, Noah Savley, Gardner, and Wyatt Gray picked up one apiece. Gardner also rushed for 154 rushing yards, which is notable because Donelson Christian Academy is undefeated when he posts at least 80 rushing yards, but 1-3 otherwise.
Trinity Christian Academy's victory bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Donelson Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Trinity Christian Academy has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 177.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Donelson Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 189.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Trinity Christian Academy was dealt a bruising 48-7 defeat at the hands of Donelson Christian Academy in their previous matchup back in November of 2020. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Lions were down 34-7.
