Preview: Tuscaloosa Christian Warriors vs. Russell Christian Academy Warriors
Tuscaloosa Christian is 2-8 against Russell Christian Academy since August of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Tuscaloosa Christian Warriors are on the road again and play against the Russell Christian Academy Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on November 3rd. Tuscaloosa Christian has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 294 points over their last five contests.
Last Friday, Tuscaloosa Christian faced Jacksonville Christian Academy in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Tuscaloosa Christian walked away with a 56-48 victory over Jacksonville Christian Academy. 56 seems to be a good number for Tuscaloosa Christian as the team scooped up a win with the same number of points in their previous game.
It was another big night for Luke Jones, who rushed for 365 yards and six touchdowns while picking up 18.3 yards per carry, and also threw for 72 yards and two touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes. Jones really tore up the turf during one magnificent 84-yard run. Another player making a difference was Jackson Harris, who gained 217 total yards.
Meanwhile, Russell Christian Academy entered their tilt with Cornerstone Christian with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Russell Christian Academy claimed a resounding 48-14 victory over Cornerstone Christian on the road. The high flying offensive effort was a huge turnaround for Russell Christian Academy's two-point performance the contest before.
Aiden Burns had a dynamite game for Russell Christian Academy, rushing for 110 yards and four touchdowns on only seven carries, while also throwing for 126 yards and two touchdowns on only ten passes. Ty Jones was another key contributor, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown.
The team's defense also helped out by holding Cornerstone Christian to a paltry 84 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Russell Christian Academy's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid him out four times before it was all said and done. Cornerstone Christian's QB won't forget Decker McKenzie anytime soon given McKenzie sacked him four times.
Tuscaloosa Christian is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season. As for Russell Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 6-4.
Keep an eye on the end zone in Friday's game as the two teams haven't had much trouble getting there this season. Tuscaloosa Christian commands a daunting offense this season, having averaged 5.7 touchdowns per game. However, it's not like Russell Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.7 per game. With these two high-octane teams facing off on Friday, fans should be in for an exciting offensive matchup.
Tuscaloosa Christian beat Russell Christian Academy 22-14 when the teams last played back in September. The rematch might be a little tougher for Tuscaloosa Christian since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
