Football Game Preview: Laurens Academy Crusaders vs. Cross Stingrays

The Laurens Academy Crusaders will take on the Cross Stingrays at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Laurens Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of South Carolina's top teams: King Academy, who was ranked first at the time (Laurens Academy was ranked second). The Crusaders lost 44-22 to the Knights on Friday. That makes it the first time this season the Crusaders have let down their home crowd.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Ethan Collins, who threw for 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 71 yards on only eight carries. Another player making a difference was Elijah Hornberger, who gained 131 total yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Cross scored the most points they've had this season on Thursday, but it wasn't enough. They came up short against Palmetto Christian Academy, falling 56-36. Even if the Stingrays couldn't come away with the victory, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their offense, which had struggled int the games prior.

Cross' defeat dropped their record down to 0-10. As for Laurens Academy, their loss was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 8-2.

Everything came up roses for Laurens Academy against Cross in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 56-22 win. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Stingrays turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.