After each having a week off, the Bishop Moore Hornets and the Hernando Leopards will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Bishop Moore is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Lake Mary last Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Hornets lost 42-22 to the Rams. The game marked the Hornets' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Amar'E Johnson
| 09/26/25 vs Tampa Catholic | 270 |
| 08/22/25 vs Oviedo | 223 |
| 10/24/25 vs Florida State University High School | 197 |
| 09/19/25 @ Melbourne Central Catholic | 163 |
| 10/17/25 @ Tavares | 156 |
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Blake McCullough, who threw for 209 yards and three touchdowns. He is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in each of the last four games he's played. Amar'E Johnson handled things on the ground, rushing for 94 yards.
Even if they lost, Bishop Moore's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Connor Kelley, Noah Prince, and Mateo Rivera, who each picked up one sack apiece. Bishop Moore got some further help from Cale Britt: he made 13 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, after a string of five wins, Hernando's good fortune finally ran out two weeks ago. They were beaten by Nature Coast Tech 35-6. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Leopards, who until this matchup were averaging 11.3 points allowed.
Bishop Moore will have to contain Michael Saltsman as he made an impact in Hernando's last game. He rushed for 60 yards on only five carries, and also threw for 150 yards on ten of 16 attempts.
Having lost for the first time this season, Bishop Moore fell to 9-1. As for Hernando, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-3.
The upcoming contest will be a clash of competing strengths. Bishop Moore has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 289.9 passing yards per game. Hernando, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 157.6 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
