Lions
| 10/17/25 vs Lincoln County | 28 |
| 10/03/25 @ Franklin County | 44 |
| 09/26/25 @ Riverdale | 7 |
| 09/19/25 vs Lawrence County | 38 |
| 09/12/25 vs Marshall County | 21 |
| + 2 more games |
The Columbia Central Lions will head out on the road to face off against the Pope John Paul II Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Columbia Central is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 29.4 points per game this season.
Columbia Central took a 20-point loss the last time they faced off against Lincoln County, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Lions slipped by the Falcons 28-27 on Friday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Columbia Central found their leader in sophomore Jamari Brown, who picked up 87 receiving yards and one TD, and also rushed for 45 yards and one score. Brown showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 57 yards. Toriano Baldwin was in the mix as well, providing Columbia Central with one touchdown.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Columbia Central's defense and their three sacks. Leading the way was Zane Nash with two. Columbia Central received some extra help from Baldwin, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Pope John Paul II played a tough game on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by Battle Ground Academy and fell 56-14. While losing is never fun, the Knights can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee football rankings (they are ranked 101st, while the Wildcats are ranked ninth).
Columbia Central will need to focus on slowing down Isaiah Batten, one of several Pope John Paul II players who made an impact when they last played. He threw for 177 yards and a pair of TDs. Batten's passing game has become a key predictor of Pope John Paul II's success: the team is 3-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 0-4 otherwise.
Pope John Paul II didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Sam Bowers and Josiah Bell.
Columbia Central is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 4-3 record this season. As for Pope John Paul II, their defeat was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 3-5.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
