Basketball Game Preview: Sparta Academy Warriors vs. Fort Dale Academy Eagles

Sparta Academy is 8-2 against Fort Dale Academy since November of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Sparta Academy Warriors will host the Fort Dale Academy Eagles at 6:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

On Tuesday, Sparta Academy ended up a good deal behind Jackson Academy and lost 44-29. The loss continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now lost three in a row.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Kaitlyn Johnson, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 19 boards. She has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last 11 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Krisalyn Johnson, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds.

Even though they lost, Sparta Academy smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in seven consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Fort Dale Academy was just a bucket shy of victory on Friday and fell 46-45 to Evangel Christian Academy.

Sparta Academy's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 7-10. As for Fort Dale Academy, they now have a losing record at 1-2.

Sparta Academy beat Fort Dale Academy 47-40 in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. Will Sparta Academy repeat their success, or does Fort Dale Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.