Football Preview: Palmer Ridge Bears vs. Air Academy Kadets
Palmer Ridge has gone 5-0 against Air Academy recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Palmer Ridge Bears will host the Air Academy Kadets at 7:00 p.m. Palmer Ridge's defense has only allowed 14.2 points per game this season, so Air Academy's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Palmer Ridge is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Mesa Ridge, who was ranked 17th in their home state at the time (Palmer Ridge was ranked 18th). Palmer Ridge fell just short of Mesa Ridge by a score of 31-28 on Friday. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Bears, who until this game were averaging 14.2 points allowed.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Avier Elvira, who rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. Another receiver making a difference was Magnus Newman, who picked up 90 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Even though they lost, Palmer Ridge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 233 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 205 rushing yards in five consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Air Academy entered their tilt with Sierra on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Stallions 37-0 on the road. That looming 37-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Kadets yet this season.
Ben Fernengel and Cade Ballard were among the main playmakers for Air Academy as the former rushed for 154 yards and a touchdown and the latter threw for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
Palmer Ridge's loss ended a nine-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-1. As for Air Academy, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Palmer Ridge has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 290.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Air Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 217.2. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Palmer Ridge against Air Academy in their previous meeting back in October of 2023, as the squad secured a 55-0 win. Will Palmer Ridge repeat their success, or does Air Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
