Preview: Manheim Central Barons vs. Bishop McDevitt Crusaders
The Manheim Central Barons will head out on the road to face off against the Bishop McDevitt Crusaders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Manheim Central sitting on nine straight wins and Bishop McDevitt on 25 (dating back to last season).
Manheim Central had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They didn't even let Twin Valley onto the board and left with a 65-0 win on Friday. The result was nothing new for Manheim Central, who have now won nine matches by 21 points or more so far this season.
Brycen Armold was his usual excellent self, rushing for 367 yards and six touchdowns while picking up 15.3 yards per carry. Armold's longest rush was for an incredible 80 yards. Another player making a difference was Aaron Enterline, who gained 112 total yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Bishop McDevitt can now show off ten landslide victories after their most recent game on Friday. They breezed by Lampeter-Strasburg at home to the tune of 43-7. With Bishop McDevitt ahead 23-0 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Bishop McDevitt found their leader in underclassman Nazir Jones-davis, who rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 carries. Maurice Barnes and his 125 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Bishop McDevitt's win.
Manheim Central's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-1. As for Bishop McDevitt, their win bumped their record up to 12-0.
We should be in store for an exciting game Friday as both teams have no problem gaining yardage. Manheim Central has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 423.9 total yards per game. However, it's not like Bishop McDevitt struggles in that department as they've been even better at 447 per game. With a pair of commanding offenses duking it out, the defenses are going to have their work cut out for them.
Manheim Central was taken down by Bishop McDevitt 40-0 in their previous meeting back in November of 2022. Thankfully for Manheim Central, Marquese Williams (who rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.3 yards per carry, and also picked up 64 receiving yards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
