Football Preview: Highland Prep Honey Badgers vs. Phoenix Christian Cougars
The Highland Prep Honey Badgers will challenge the Phoenix Christian Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Highland Prep is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 38 points two weeks ago, they were much more limited against Cortez on Friday. They were outmatched by the Colts on the road and fell 43-12. The matchup marked the Honey Badgers' lowest-scoring match so far this season.
Highland Prep might have lost, but man, Faride Isaack Villa was a machine: he picked up 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Isaack Villa showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 69 yards. Another player making a difference was Gil Camacho, who threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Christian never let their opponents score last Thursday. They blew past Glendale Prep Academy 55-0 at home. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cougars.
Phoenix Christian's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Z'Yeon Rondan, who rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries. Rondan didn't just play on offense: he also forced a fumble, made three total tackles, and made three total tackles in addition to snagging an interception. Backing up that air attack was Gio Young, who rushed for 86 yards.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Phoenix Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 366 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
Phoenix Christian wouldn't let Glendale Prep Academy keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Phoenix Christian can thank Rondan and Luke Hocking for forcing both of them.
The defeat snapped Highland Prep's winning streak at five games dating back to last season and leaves them with a 4-1 record. As for Phoenix Christian, their record now sits at 4-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's contest: Highland Prep has been excellent in the air this season, having averaged 294.6 passing yards per game. It's a different story for Phoenix Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 37. How will they fare against such a dominant passing game?
Highland Prep was taken down by Phoenix Christian 43-6 in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. Thankfully for Highland Prep, Brandon Scroggins (who rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
