Preview: Champaign Central Maroons vs. Manual Rams
Champaign Central has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Manual Rams at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Illinois (Champaign Central is ranked 151st, while Manual is ranked 171st).
Last Tuesday, Champaign Central came up short against Tolono Unity and fell 55-46.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Axel Baldwin, who scored 11 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Chris Bush, who scored eight points.
Meanwhile, Manual pushed their score all the way to 56 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 62-56 hit to the loss column at the hands of Normal Community. Manual has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Champaign Central has been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-5 record this season. As for Manual, their loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 3-3.
Champaign Central came up short against Manual in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, falling 71-60. Can Champaign Central avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
