Preview: Boyd Christian Broncos vs. Franklin Road Christian Minutemen
The Boyd Christian Broncos will be playing in front of their home fans against the Franklin Road Christian Minutemen at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the pair will really light up the scoreboard.
In what's become a running theme this season, Boyd Christian gave their fans yet another huge victory on Thursday. They breezed by Riverside Christian Academy on the road to the tune of 60-32. The win was familiar territory for Boyd Christian who now have four in a row.
Boyd Christian can attribute much of their success to Katie Bechtel, who scored 14 points along with five rebounds, and Brooke Kesey, who scored 21 points. Bechtel continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Krista Chisam was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with five steals.
Meanwhile, Franklin Road Christian strolled past Franklin Christian Academy with points to spare on Saturday, taking the game 61-43. Given Franklin Road Christian's advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 169th, while Franklin Christian Academy is ranked 394th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Franklin Road Christian found their leader in underclassman Lakelyn Dempsey, who scored 15 points along with eight rebounds and eight steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Dempsey has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Presley Applegate, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten rebounds.
Boyd Christian's win bumped their record up to 15-11. As for Franklin Road Christian, the win makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 16-4.
Monday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Boyd Christian have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 32.1 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Franklin Road Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 37.4 rebounds per game. Given Boyd Christian's sizeable advantage in that area, Franklin Road Christian will need to find a way to close that gap.
Boyd Christian didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Franklin Road Christian when the teams last played back in December of 2023, but they still walked away with a 55-50 win. Does Boyd Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Franklin Road Christian turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.