Football Game Preview: Harding Academy Lions vs. Jackson Christian Eagles + Official Tickets

Harding Academy hasn't had much luck against Jackson Christian recently, but that could start to change on Friday. After each having a week off, the two teams will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. Harding Academy will be strutting in after a victory while Jackson Christian will be coming in after a loss.

Harding Academy took a 33-point defeat the last time they faced off against First Assembly Christian, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. In a tight matchup that could have gone either way, the Lions made off with a 19-18 win over the Crusaders. The score was all tied up 6-6 at the break, but the Lions were the better team in the second half.

Justin Barham

Rushing Yards

08/22/25 vs Kingsbury	125
10/02/25 @ First Assembly Christian	123
09/12/25 vs Tupelo Christian Prep	110
09/05/25 @ Tipton-Rosemark Academy	31
08/29/25 @ St. George's	25
+ 2 more games

This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Justin Barham and Jarren Jackson. Barham rushed for 123 yards and one touchdown while picking up 7.7 yards per carry while Jackson rushed for 32 yards and one TD. Barham is becoming a predictor of Harding Academy's success: when he posts at least 80 rushing yards the team is undefeated (and 0-4 when he doesn't).

Meanwhile, Jackson Christian's game last Friday was all tied up 14-14 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They fell just short of Trinity Christian Academy by a score of 31-28. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Eagles, who until this game were averaging 12.57 points allowed.

Harding Academy will have to contain Kingston Robinson as he made an impact in Jackson Christian's last game. He rushed for 30 yards and a pair of scores. James Dyer was in the mix too, providing Jackson Christian with one TD.

Having lost for the first time this season, Jackson Christian fell to 6-1. As for Harding Academy, their victory was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 3-4.

Harding Academy was dealt a bruising 43-7 loss at the hands of Jackson Christian when the teams last played back in October of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Lions were down 36-0.