The Montgomery Academy Eagles will face off against the Trinity Presbyterian Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Montgomery Academy's defense has only allowed 13.3 points per game this season, so Trinity Presbyterian's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Montgomery Academy blew Luverne out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Friday Luverne got their revenge. The Eagles fell just short of the Tigers by a score of 48-45. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Eagles, who until this game were averaging 13.33 points allowed.
Despite the defeat, Montgomery Academy saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Reid McBride threw for 244 yards and two TDs while completing 78.9% of his passes.
Meanwhile, Trinity Presbyterian had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24.3 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They came within six points of losing the streak, but they secured a 34-28 W against the Trojans.
Montgomery Academy better keep an eye on Tillman Clements. He was instrumental in Trinity Presbyterian's win, rushing for 229 yards and a pair of scores while picking up 12.1 yards per carry, and also picking up 42 receiving yards and one touchdown. Clements showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 66 yards. Land Sharpless was another key player, throwing for 223 yards and three TDs on only 19 passes.
Trinity Presbyterian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 227 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 161 rushing yards in four consecutive contests.
Trinity Presbyterian's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB three times. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Wilson Cherry, William Hughes, and Brazier Carpenter, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in Saint James' side was Cherry, who picked up a sack and made 17 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Having lost for the first time this season, Montgomery Academy fell to 5-1. As for Trinity Presbyterian, their record is now an identical 5-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Montgomery Academy has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 168 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Trinity Presbyterian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 193.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Montgomery Academy won a contest that couldn't have been any closer when the teams last played back in October of 2024, slipping by Trinity Presbyterian 28-27. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Wildcats' Patton Mitchell, who rushed for 90 yards, and also threw for 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Eagles still be able to contain Mitchell? There's only one way to find out.
