Football Recap: Pinecrest Academy Wins High-Profile Contest Against St. Francis + How To Watch

Pinecrest Academy faced St. Francis in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Paladins strolled past the Knights with points to spare, taking the game 34-20. This was payback for the Paladins, who suffered a 48-34 loss the last time these two teams met.

Despite the loss, St. Francis still got an impressive performance from Eli Pawlish, who rushed for 139 yards and one touchdown while picking up 7.7 yards per carry, and also threw for 104 yards and a pair of TDs. The Knights are 3-1 when Pawlish posts 100 or more rushing yards, but 0-5 otherwise.

Paladins

Previous 5 Games

10/24/25 @ St. Francis	34-20
10/17/25 vs Fideles Christian	35-10
10/10/25 @ Horizon Christian Academy	49-6
10/03/25 vs Johnson Ferry Christian Academy	52-6
09/19/25 @ Harvester Christian Academy	44-42

The win keeps Pinecrest Academy at an undefeated 6-0-1. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 42.8 points over those games. As for St. Francis, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-6.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Pinecrest Academy will host Unity Christian at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The Paladins will need to watch out since the Lions have now posted at least 31 points in their last three games. As for St. Francis, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Johnson Ferry Christian Academy at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The Knights will be up against the Saints' rather soft defense (which has allowed 28 points per contest), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.