Two dominant signal callers in Judson Bailey and Craig Pittman are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Houston Academy Raiders will square off against the Providence Christian Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Houston Academy easily dispatched Northside Methodist Academy last Friday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Raiders fell just short of Trinity Presbyterian by a score of 17-14 on Friday. The Raiders' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Providence Christian). They blew past Houston County 61-8 on Friday. With the Eagles ahead 53-0 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Houston Academy better keep an eye on Jackson Rillano. He was instrumental in Providence Christian's win, rushing for 93 yards and two scores. Those two rushing touchdowns gave Rillano a new career-high.
Providence Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 346 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 211 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.
Providence 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 Tyler Sharp, Winston Bass, and Sawyer Bienvenu picked up one apiece.
Providence Christian's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-3. The road victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 10.0 points on average over those games. As for Houston Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 6-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Houston Academy has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 153.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Providence Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 209.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Houston Academy against Providence Christian in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 45-7 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Raiders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
