Football Game Preview: Cortez Colts vs. Scottsdale Christian Academy Eagles

Two dominant signal callers in Jamerrius Anthony and Sean Helgeson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Cortez Colts will host the Scottsdale Christian Academy Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing isn't great for Cortez: they have been struggling with five straight losses at home dating back to last season, while Scottsdale Christian Academy has snatched up seven consecutive wins on the road also dating back to last season.

Cortez is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 50 points last Friday, they were much more limited against Camp Verde on Friday. They were outmatched by the Cowboys and fell 48-6.

Meanwhile, Scottsdale Christian Academy humbled Chino Valley with a 62-6 victory. Fans of the Eagles have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.

Scottsdale Christian Academy's win came from a few key players Cortez will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Caleb Murphy, who picked up 161 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Those 161 receiving yards gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ben Watkins, who rushed for 43 yards and two touchdowns.

Scottsdale Christian Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 262 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 190 rushing yards in four consecutive matchups.

One reason for the win was Scottsdale Christian Academy's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for 7.5 sacks. In that department, Abraham Ortega was the leader with 3.5. Ortega is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least five every time he's taken the field this season.

Cortez's loss dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Scottsdale Christian Academy, their win bumped their record up to 6-0.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Cortez has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 254 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Scottsdale Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 193.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.