Football Game Preview: Waitsburg Cardinals vs. Sunnyside Christian Knights

The Waitsburg Cardinals will be playing at home against the Sunnyside Christian Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Waitsburg is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 70-44 margin over St. John-Endicott on Friday. With the Cardinals ahead 48-18 at the half, the game was all but over already.

It was another big night for Jayton Gleason, who rushed for 191 yards and five TDs on only 11 carries, and also threw for 222 yards and four touchdowns. He didn't just play on offense: he also made three total tackles and defended one pass in addition to snagging two interceptions. Martin Vasquez also helped out as he racked up 100 rushing yards.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Waitsburg was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 307 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 154 rushing yards in six consecutive contests.

Waitsburg didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. Gleason was the real danger to the passing game, picking up two interceptions all by himself. Waitsburg got some further help from Jarod Hankins: he picked up a sack, forced two fumbles, and made ten total tackles.

Meanwhile, Sunnyside Christian won against Touchet two weeks ago with 48 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. The Knights blew past Mabton 48-12. That looming 48-12 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Knights yet this season.

Sunnyside Christian has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 36.5 points over those games. As for Waitsburg, their record now sits at 5-3.

Everything came up roses for Waitsburg against Sunnyside Christian in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 54-24 victory. Will the Cardinals repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.