Preview: Eustis Panthers vs. The First Academy Royals
Eustis has enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against The First Academy Royals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Thursday, Eustis got themselves on the board against Umatilla, but Umatilla never followed suit. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Bulldogs 57-0 at home. Eustis pushed the score to 50-0 by the end of the third, a deficit Umatilla had no chance of recovering from.
Troy Saladin had an outrageously good game as he threw for 202 yards and four touchdowns on only ten passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. Saladin is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in the last three games he's played. Zsacari Minnis made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for The First Academy on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Duval Charter out of the water with a 63-6 final score. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 49-0.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead The First Academy to victory, but perhaps none more so than Adarin Robinson, who rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown. Robinson was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 55 yards. Julian Anderson did his part for the team as well, scoring a TD off of 46 receiving yards.
Their wins bumped Eustis to 4-3 and The First Academy to 5-2.
Keep an eye on the end zone in Friday's game as the pair haven't had much trouble getting there this season. Eustis commands a daunting offense this season, having averaged 5.1 touchdowns per game. However, it's not like The First Academy struggles in that department as they've been even better at 5.4 per game. With these two high-octane teams facing off on Friday, fans should be in for an exciting offensive matchup.
