Preview: High Point Christian Academy Cougars vs. Hickory Grove Christian Lions
High Point Christian Academy has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against The Hickory Grove Christian Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in High Point Christian Academy's favor is that they have now posted big point totals in their last four games.
High Point Christian Academy pushed their score all the way to 31 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell to Asheville School (Independent) 36-31.
Despite the loss, High Point Christian Academy got a solid performance out of Danarius Gibson, who rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns, and also picked up 62 receiving yards. Jaiquan Clay also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Even if they lost, High Point Christian Academy's defensive line still kept up the pressure with seven sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Mack Johnson and Josh Smith who racked up five sacks between them.
Meanwhile, Hickory Grove Christian put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their undefeated season alive. They put the hurt on Asheville Christian Academy with a sharp 54-28 victory. The result was nothing new for Hickory Grove Christian, who have now won seven matches by 26 points or more so far this season.
Anthony Hawkins got back to being his usual excellent self, as he rushed for 352 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 14.7 yards per carry. Hawkins is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last five games he's played. Gavin Thompson also helped out as he racked up 102 rushing yards.
Hickory Grove Christian's win bumped their season record to 8-0 while High Point Christian Academy's loss dropped theirs to 7-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. High Point Christian Academy has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 168.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Hickory Grove Christian struggles in that department as they've been even better at 304.6 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
High Point Christian Academy beat Hickory Grove Christian 19-7 when the teams last played back in November of 2022. Does High Point Christian Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hickory Grove Christian turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
