Preview: Mount Airy Granite Bears vs. Union Academy Cardinals
The Mount Airy Granite Bears will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Union Academy Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. Mount Airy has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 558 points over their last ten contests.
Mount Airy put the finishing touches on their tenth blowout victory of the season on Friday. They took their match on the road with ease, bagging a 53-0 victory over Alleghany. Given Mount Airy's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 55th, while Alleghany is ranked 299th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Mount Airy's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Taeshon Martin, who rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries. Walker Stroup was another key contributor, picking up 168 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Union Academy can finally bid farewell to their six-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against South Stanly and snuck past 14-12. The win was just what Union Academy needed coming off of a 38-6 defeat in their prior match.
Union Academy got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Nick Henry out in front who rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries. Another player making a difference was Parker St. clair, who rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries.
Union Academy's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB four times. Leading the way was Michael Hughes and his two sacks.
Mount Airy's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which bumped their overall record up to 10-0. As for Union Academy, their win bumped their record up to 2-8.
Everything came up roses for Mount Airy against Union Academy when the teams last played back in November of 2021 as the squad secured a 75-0 win. Will Mount Airy repeat their success, or does Union Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
