John Paul II is 0-5 against Pinewood Prep since September of 2020 but things could change on Thursday. The Golden Warrriors will head out on the road to take on the Panthers at 7:30 p.m. John Paul II has given up an average of 28 points per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
On Friday, John Paul II ended up a good deal behind Hilton Head Christian Academy and lost 35-21.
John Paul II's defeat came about despite a quality game from Alan Wolf, who rushed for 162 yards and one touchdown on only 12 carries. Wolf's longest rush was for an impressive 56 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
Meanwhile, Pinewood Prep blew past First Baptist School, posting a 49-6 victory. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Hurricanes recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
John Paul II better keep an eye on Silas Brawner. He was instrumental in Pinewood Prep's win, throwing for 262 yards and three TDs while picking up 11.9 yards per attempt. The dominant performance also gave Brawner a new career-high in rushing yards (20). Lavoris Lucas was Brawner's top target, picking up 107 receiving yards and one score.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Pinewood Prep, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Tanner Smoak, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Pinewood Prep's victory bumped their record up to 6-3. As for John Paul II, their loss dropped their record down to 5-4.
The upcoming matchup will be a clash of competing strengths. John Paul II has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 251 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Pinewood Prep has preferred to attack from the air: they average 269.4 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Thursday? There's only one way to find out.
John Paul II took a serious blow against Pinewood Prep in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, falling 69-21. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Golden Warrriors were down 42-7.
