Football Preview: John Paul II Guardians vs. Holy Cross Knights
John Paul II is 0-4 against Holy Cross since November of 2020 but things could change on Friday. The John Paul II Guardians will be playing in front of their home fans against the Holy Cross Knights at 7:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.
Having struggled with seven defeats in a row dating back to last season, the Guardians finally turned things around against the Centurions on Saturday. They never let the Centurions onto the board and left with a 21-0 win. The Guardians' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Meanwhile, Holy Cross put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They were the clear victor by a 34-14 margin over First Baptist. Considering the Knights have won six matchups by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Holy Cross' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Gibby Alvarado, who rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 165 yards while completing 76.9% of his passes. Daniel Perez was another key rusher, rushing for 94 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries.
The Guardians' first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-6. As for Holy Cross, their win bumped their record up to 8-0.
John Paul II was taken down by Holy Cross 57-13 in their previous matchup back in October of 2023. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Alvarado, who threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns while completing 78.3% of his passes. Now that John Paul II knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
