vs
| 10/31/25 - Home | 22-44 L |
| 09/19/25 - Away | 34-60 L |
| 11/01/24 - Away | 40-26 W |
| 09/20/24 - Home | 52-36 W |
| 10/13/23 - Home | 22-26 L |
| + 5 more games |
Laurens Academy and King Academy are an even 5-5 against one another since September of 2018, but not for long. The Crusaders will take on the Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. That matchup will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Caleb Hardy and Joseph Morse.
Laurens Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They managed a 30-24 win over Holly Hill Academy.
Ethan Collins was his usual excellent self, rushing for 67 yards and two TDs, while also throwing for 126 yards on only 12 passes.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Laurens Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 250 rushing yards. They are a perfect 8-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Meanwhile, King Academy faced Jefferson Davis Academy in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Knights claimed a resounding 74-28 victory over the Raiders. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won nine games by 20 points or more so far this season.
King Academy's win came from a few key players Laurens Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Blake Rabar, who rushed for 55 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in rushing touchdowns (two). Elijah Hutto was another key player, rushing for six yards and two scores.
King Academy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off five passes before the game was over. Tucker McGinty led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one interception the last three times he's played. Jacob Bussey was another major factor on D, making 17 total tackles.
The win keeps King Academy at an undefeated 11-0. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 47.1 points this season. As for Laurens Academy, their win bumped their record up to 9-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Laurens Academy has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 264.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like King Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 222 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Laurens Academy suffered a grim 44-22 defeat to King Academy in their previous matchup back in October. Can the Crusaders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
