Football Preview: Notre Dame Prep Saints vs. Cactus Shadows Falcons
Notre Dame Prep is 6-0 against Cactus Shadows since October of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Notre Dame Prep Saints will host the Cactus Shadows Falcons at 7:00 p.m. Notre Dame Prep's offense hasn't had much luck over their past three contests, but Friday's matchup will give them a chance to turn things around.
Notre Dame Prep's offense might be in the hot seat on Friday considering what happened against Higley on Friday. They were beaten by the Knights 34-0.
Notre Dame Prep wouldn't let Higley keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Notre Dame Prep can thank Nathan Jones and J.J. Francis for forcing both of them. Francis also set a new season high mark in total tackles with four. Another thorn in Higley's side was Mason Pavone, who made 16 total tackles and defended a pass.
Meanwhile, Cactus Shadows faced ALA - Gilbert North in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. Cactus Shadows fell 49-42 to ALA - Gilbert North. Despite 157 more yards than the Eagles, the Falcons couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Despite the loss, Cactus Shadows got top-tier performance from Donivan C Dixon, who threw for 284 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries. C Dixon is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season. Alex Dafnis was C Dixon's top target, picking up 85 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Even though they lost, Cactus Shadows was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 248 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as ALA - Gilbert North only rushed for 143.
Notre Dame Prep's defeat dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Cactus Shadows, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-3 record this season.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Notre Dame Prep has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 149.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Cactus Shadows struggles in that department as they've been averaging 293.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Notre Dame Prep was able to grind out a solid win over Cactus Shadows in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, winning 32-21. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was C Dixon, who threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns while completing 72% of his passes, and also rushed for 83 yards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Notre Dame Prep still be able to contain C Dixon? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
