For the first time this season, Pensacola Catholic will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will take on the Freeport Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Pensacola Catholic's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Providence School 35-0. The Crusaders' offense checked out after the first half but had enough points banked to take the game anyway.
Ethan Crandall went supernova, rushing for 147 yards and two scores on only ten carries. His longest rush was for an impressive 56 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Pensacola Catholic was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 270 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Providence School only rushed for -3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Freeport). They walked away with a 71-60 win over Cottondale two weeks ago. The victory was just business as usual for the Bulldogs, who after four games remain undefeated this season.
Freeport's win came from a few key players Pensacola Catholic will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Carter Nunes, who threw for 222 yards and five TDs on only 19 passes, and also rushed for 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only five carries. Those 80 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Another back making a difference was Dylan Louthain, who rushed for 186 yards and a pair of scores.
Pensacola Catholic's record now sits at 4-1. As for Freeport, their record is now 4-0.
The upcoming game will be a clash of competing strengths. Pensacola Catholic has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 180 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Freeport has preferred to attack from the air: they average 285.2 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Everything came up roses for Pensacola Catholic against Freeport in their previous matchup back in September of 2024, as the squad secured a 53-26 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Bulldogs' Julius Miles, who picked up 187 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Crusaders still be able to contain Miles? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
