Two dominant signal callers in Mark Norris and Mac Long are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Tuscaloosa Academy Knights will host the Coosa Christian Conquerors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Coosa Christian will be up against a hot Tuscaloosa Academy team: the squad just extended their winning streak to four. The Knights blew past Sulligent 48-26 on Friday. That's two games straight that the Knights have won by exactly 22 points.
Tuscaloosa Academy relied on the efforts of Mason Corder, who picked up 51 receiving yards and a pair of TDs, and Ty Johnson, who gained 96 total yards and a touchdown.
Reagan Barnette
| 08/21/25 @ American Christian Academy | 5 |
| 09/12/25 vs Isabella | 5 |
| 10/03/25 vs Vincent | 5 |
| 10/10/25 @ Lamar County | 5 |
| 08/29/25 vs Pickens County | 6 |
Another reason for the win was Tuscaloosa Academy's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for seven sacks. Reagan Barnette was especially locked on to Sulligent's QB and sacked him four times. Barnette also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with 15. Tuscaloosa Academy got some further help from Sawyer Summerlin: he picked up a sack, made 20 total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defended one pass.
Meanwhile, Coosa Christian never let their opponents score on Thursday. They blew past West End 55-0. Given the Conquerors' advantage in MaxPreps' Alabama football rankings (they are ranked 72nd, while the Patriots are ranked 343rd) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Tuscaloosa Academy better keep an eye on Joseph East. He was instrumental in Coosa Christian's win, rushing for 100 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. East didn't just play on offense: he also picked up a sack and made six total tackles.
Coosa Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 252 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.
Tuscaloosa Academy's victory bumped their record up to 7-1. As for Coosa Christian, their win bumped their record up to 7-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Tuscaloosa Academy has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 148.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Coosa Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 150.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Tuscaloosa Academy lost to Coosa Christian at home by a decisive 35-21 margin when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Knights, Kanon Wilson (who rushed for 144 yards and a pair of scores while picking up 7.6 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
