Football Recap: Merritt Island Christian Takes Down Ranked Sports Leadership & Management

Cougars

Margin (Wins)

10/03/25 vs Legacy Charter	64
10/17/25 vs Eastland Christian	54
10/10/25 @ City of Life Christian Academy	53
10/24/25 vs Sports Leadership & Management	42
09/26/25 @ Calvary Chapel Academy	42

Merritt Island Christian faced Sports Leadership & Management in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Cougars breezed past the Spartans to the tune of 42-0. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won nine contests by 24 points or more so far this season.

Merritt Island Christian's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Emmerson Hahn, who rushed for 67 yards and one touchdown on only six carries, and also picked up 58 receiving yards and one TD. Hahn's longest reception was for an impressive 58 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per catch total. Bode Handwork was another key passer, throwing for 136 yards and three touchdowns on only six passes.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Merritt Island Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 215 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 162 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.

Merritt Island Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Jonathan Pratt, Handwork, and Connor Angstadt picked up one apiece. Merritt Island Christian received some extra help from Hahn, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Merritt Island Christian pushed their record up to 9-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.3 points over those games. As for Sports Leadership & Management, their loss dropped their record down to 3-7.

Coming up, Merritt Island Christian will square off against Countryside Christian at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Cougars will be up against the Minutemen's rather soft defense (which has allowed 29.13 points per game), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. Sports Leadership & Management does not have any more games scheduled as of now.