Football Preview: Highland Prep Honey Badgers vs. Phoenix Christian Cougars
The Highland Prep Honey Badgers will take on the Phoenix Christian Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Highland Prep is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 38 points last Friday, they were much more limited against Cortez on Friday. They were dealt a 43-12 loss at the hands of the Colts. The match marked the Honey Badgers' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Highland Prep might have lost, but man, Faride Isaack Villa was a machine: he picked up 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Isaack Villa showed off some serious burst, cutting upfield on a catch for 69 yards. Gil Camacho was another key player, throwing for 226 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Christian got themselves on the board against Glendale Prep Academy on Thursday, but Glendale Prep Academy never followed suit. They took their contest at home with ease, bagging a 55-0 win over the Griffins. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cougars.
Phoenix Christian's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Z'Yeon Rondan led the charge by rushing for 87 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries. Rondan also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, forcing a fumble, making three total tackles, and making three total tackles in addition to snagging an interception. Phoenix Christian also got a significant boost from Gio Young, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 86 yards.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Phoenix Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 366 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
Phoenix Christian wouldn't let Glendale Prep Academy keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Phoenix Christian can thank Rondan and Luke Hocking for forcing both of them.
The defeat snapped Highland Prep's winning streak at five games dating back to last season and leaves them with a 4-1 record. As for Phoenix Christian, their record is now 4-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: Highland Prep has been excellent in the air this season, having averaged 294.6 passing yards per game. It's a different story for Phoenix Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 37. How will they fare against such a dominant passing game?
Highland Prep was taken down by Phoenix Christian 43-6 in their previous matchup back in September of 2023. Thankfully for Highland Prep, Brandon Scroggins (who rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
