The Phoenix Christian Cougars will stay at home for another week and welcome the Highland Prep Honey Badgers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Phoenix Christian's defense has only allowed 15 points per game this season, so Highland Prep's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Phoenix Christian's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed last Thursday. They blew past Glendale Prep Academy 55-0 at home.
Phoenix Christian's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Z'Yeon Rondan, who rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries. Rondan didn't just play on offense: he also forced a fumble, made three total tackles, and made three total tackles in addition to snagging an interception. Another back making a difference was Kevin Palafox, who rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on only ten carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Phoenix Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 366 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
Phoenix Christian wouldn't let Glendale Prep Academy keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Phoenix Christian can thank Rondan and Luke Hocking for forcing both of them.
Meanwhile, after some red-hot attacks on offense in their last four matches, Highland Prep finally came back down to earth on Friday. They were beaten by Cortez 43-12. The Honey Badgers' loss signaled the end of their five-game winning streak dating back to last season.
Despite the defeat, Highland Prep got top-tier performance from Faride Isaack Villa, who picked up 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Isaack Villa showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 69 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Gil Camacho, who threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns.
Phoenix Christian's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Highland Prep, their loss was their first of the season and also makes their record 4-1.
The upcoming contest will be a clash of competing strengths. Phoenix Christian has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 270.8 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Highland Prep has preferred to attack from the air: they average 294.6 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Everything came up roses for Phoenix Christian against Highland Prep when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 43-6 victory. Does Phoenix Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Highland Prep turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
