The Christian Academy of Knoxville Warriors will venture away from home to challenge the Goodpasture Christian Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Christian Academy of Knoxville will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up seven points last Friday, then bounced right back against Lakeway Christian Academy on Thursday. The Warriors put the hurt on the Lions with a sharp 33-8 victory. The win continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Lions: they've now won three in a row.
One reason for the win was Christian Academy of Knoxville's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Jeremiah Wilson refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself.
Meanwhile, Goodpasture Christian never let their opponents score on Thursday. They breezed past Hunters Lane to the tune of 56-0. The contest was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Cougars had established a 42-point advantage.
Goodpasture Christian's win came from a few key players Christian Academy of Knoxville will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Chase Angell, who threw for 126 yards and two touchdowns on perfect 6-for-6 passing. His passing game has become a key predictor of Goodpasture Christian's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 2-3 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of John Slagle, who rushed for 12 yards and one TD.
Goodpasture Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Caleb Reed, Tanner Head, and Heath Vinnett picked up one apiece. Head got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Christian Academy of Knoxville's record now sits at 6-4. As for Goodpasture Christian, their record is now 7-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Christian Academy of Knoxville has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 201.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Goodpasture Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 154.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Christian Academy of Knoxville came up short against Goodpasture Christian when the teams last played back in September of 2022, falling 20-16. Can the Warriors avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
