The Apex Friendship Patriots will face off against the Willow Spring Storm at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Apex Friendship's defense has only allowed 10.5 points per game this season, so Willow Spring's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Apex Friendship is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past Green Level 49-14 last Friday. The Patriots have beaten the Gators the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Gators has come to flipping the script.
Ethan McGarrigan
| 10/10/25 vs Green Level | 308 |
| 09/12/25 @ Holly Springs | 289 |
| 08/29/25 vs Lee County | 284 |
| 09/26/25 @ Jordan | 265 |
| 09/19/25 @ Green Hope | 223 |
Ethan McGarrigan was a one-man wrecking crew as he threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 15.4 yards per attempt. Those 308 passing yards gave him a new career-high. Michael Mallard helped McGarrigan out on the ground, rushing for 91 yards and a pair of scores.
Apex Friendship's run defense was locked in: Green Level could only muster two yards per carry. The team can thank Tyler Goebbel for the heroic effort on defense: he. Apex Friendship's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.92 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 3.7 on average over their last three games.
Apex Friendship didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Goebbel and Noah Evenson. Goebbel is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in each of the last five games he's played.
Meanwhile, Willow Spring was not the first on the board on Friday, but they got there more often. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 24-21 victory over Green Hope.
Apex Friendship better keep an eye on Ethan Dyk Es. He was instrumental in Willow Spring's win, throwing for 273 yards and two TDs on only 15 passes. Dyk Es' passing game has become a key predictor of the Storm's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-3 otherwise. 81 of Dyk Es' passing yards were hauled in by Javel Smith, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Willow Spring, racking up 12 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Eddie Mann, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Apex Friendship's win bumped their record up to 7-1. As for Willow Spring, their victory bumped their record up to 5-3.
Apex Friendship beat Willow Spring 21-14 in their previous matchup back in September of 2024. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Storm have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
