Football Game Preview: Maranatha Minutemen vs. Big Bear Bears

The Maranatha Minutemen will head out on the road to challenge the Big Bear Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Maranatha will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more points each game than the last.

On Friday, Maranatha made easy work of Arrowhead Christian and carried off a 37-14 victory. The Minutemen might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three contests by 20 points or more this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Maranatha's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Tommy Macfarlane, Sammy Byrnes, and Kade Bentkowski-Holdren, who each picked up one sack apiece. Maranatha received some extra help from Nick Goodman, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Big Bear's offense. They were beaten by Linfield Christian 38-0 on Friday. The Bears have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Big Bear's defeat dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Maranatha, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-3.

Maranatha was dealt a bruising 55-27 loss at the hands of Big Bear when the teams last played back in October of 2024. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Minutemen were down 35-6.