The Liberty Christian Bulldogs will square off against the Glass Hilltoppers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Glass will be up against a hot Liberty Christian team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Bulldogs blew past Franklin County 41-14 on Friday. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Bulldogs' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Virginia football rankings (they are ranked eighth, while the Eagles are ranked 110th).
Liberty Christian found their leader in sophomore Mason Gunn, who rushed for 102 yards and one TD on only eight carries. Luke Gaither also deserves some recognition as he punched in his first rushing touchdown of the season.
Liberty Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 320 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 151 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.
Liberty Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jordan Burns and Jacob Parziale.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous three matchup, Glass brought some dynamite into their most recent game. They blew past Liberty, posting a 47-16 victory. The Hilltoppers not only won last Friday, but they posted their biggest win since September 20, 2024 (when they won 59-0).
Glass' win came from a few key players Liberty Christian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jhalil Holloway, who threw for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 34 yards. Ga'Marion Abbitt was another key player, rushing for 62 yards and one score.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Glass' defense and their three sacks. Kai Calloway refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. Damaries Harris got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Glass' win bumped their record up to 2-3. As for Liberty Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 3-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Liberty Christian has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 165.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Glass struggles in that department as they've been averaging 177 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Liberty Christian against Glass when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 45-6 win. In that game, the Bulldogs amassed a halftime lead of 38-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.