Football Game Preview: Concordia Lutheran Crusaders vs. Antonian Prep Apaches

Concordia Lutheran is 1-6 against Antonian Prep since October of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Crusaders will welcome the Apaches at 7:00 p.m.

Things were looking good for Concordia Lutheran after they put the first points on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell 20-15 to St. Thomas Catholic. The contest marked the Crusaders' lowest-scoring game so far this season.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Antonian Prep, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They came out on top against St. Pius X by a score of 35-26 on Friday. The Apaches haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.

Concordia Lutheran better keep an eye on Topper Sterling. He was instrumental in Antonian Prep's win, rushing for 278 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.9 yards per carry, and also picking up 45 receiving yards and one TD. Sterling has become a key player for the Apaches: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 2-3 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Rogan Parson, who rushed for 44 yards and one score.

Antonian Prep was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 322 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 181 rushing yards in seven consecutive matchups.

Antonian Prep's win bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Concordia Lutheran, their defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 6-2.

Concordia Lutheran couldn't quite get it done against Antonian Prep in their previous meeting back in November of 2024 as they fell 38-28. Thankfully for the Crusaders, Michael Moreno (who rushed for 266 yards and three TDs, and also picked up 34 receiving yards and one touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.