Preview: Hamden Hall Country Day vs. Worcester Academy Hilltoppers
Hamden Hall Country Day is 1-0 against Worcester Academy since October of 2022, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Hamden Hall Country Day will head out on the road to face off against the Worcester Academy Hilltoppers at 6:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Hamden Hall Country Day sitting on four straight victories and Worcester Academy on three.
Last Saturday, everything came up roses for Hamden Hall Country Day on the road against Albany Academy for Boys as the squad secured a 46-15 victory. Given Hamden Hall Country Day's advantage in MaxPreps's football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 13th in Connecticut, while Albany Academy for Boys is ranked 332nd in New York), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Hamden Hall Country Day's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Charly Gulbin, who threw for 213 yards and four touchdowns while completing 92.9% of his passes. Gulbin is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in the last four games he's played. Qeanu Johnson also deserves a shout-out for his three touchdowns.
Hamden Hall Country Day's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB four times. Leading the way was Mark Schoonmaker and his two sacks.
Meanwhile, Worcester Academy got themselves on the board against St. Luke's on Friday, but St. Luke's never followed suit. They claimed a resounding 46-0 victory over the Storm at home. Worcester Academy pushed the score to 39-0 by the end of the third, a deficit St. Luke's had no chance of recovering from.
Among those leading the charge was Jojo Uga, who rushed for 147 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries. Uga was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 55 yards. Keith Sarkodieh was another key contributor, rushing for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Their wins bumped Hamden Hall Country Day to 4-1 and Worcester Academy to 3-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday' game: Hamden Hall Country Day has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 363 total yards per game. It's a different story for Worcester Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 206.7 per game. Will Hamden Hall Country Day be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will Worcester Academy flip the ?
Everything went Hamden Hall Country Day's way against Worcester Academy in their previous meeting back in October of 2022 as Hamden Hall Country Day made off with a 28-6 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hamden Hall Country Day since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
