Football Game Preview: Mt. Zion Braves vs. Waterloo Bulldogs

The Mt. Zion Braves will host the Waterloo Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Mt. Zion will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.

On Friday, Mt. Zion humbled Mater Dei with a 52-14 victory. The result was nothing new for the Braves, who have now won five matchups by 24 points or more so far this season.

JC Anderson

Total Touchdowns

10/24/25 @ Mater Dei	3
10/03/25 vs Charleston	3
10/17/25 @ Taylorville	2
09/26/25 @ Mahomet-Seymour	2
10/10/25 @ Effingham	1

Keller Stocks had another great game (as he tends to do), throwing for 285 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 11.4 yards per attempt, and also rushing for 31 yards. JC Anderson was in the mix too, providing Mt. Zion with three scores.

Mt. Zion's run defense was locked in: Mater Dei could only muster 2.7 yards per carry. While seven picked up at least one total tackle, Jacob Harvey stood above the rest. He picked up 151 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. Mt. Zion's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.88 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 8.23 on average over their last five games.

Meanwhile, Waterloo played a tough contest on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They lost 27-6 to Rochelle. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Bulldogs have suffered since November 9, 2024.

Mt. Zion will have to contain Derez Sayles as he made an impact in Waterloo's last game. He picked up 19 receiving yards and six touchdowns, and also rushed for 70 yards.

The loss snapped Waterloo's winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 6-3 record. As for Mt. Zion, their record is now 8-1.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Mt. Zion has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 148.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Waterloo struggles in that department as they've been averaging 298.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.