After each having a week off, the Hawthorne Hornets and the IMG Academy White Ascenders will shake off the cobwebs and face off against one another at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
IMG Academy White is hoping to do what Zephyrhills Christian Academy couldn't last Friday: put an end to Hawthorne's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Hawthorne put the hurt on Zephyrhills Christian Academy with a sharp 39-14 win. Given the Hornets' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 56th, while the Warriors are ranked 331st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Keenon Johnson, who rushed for 224 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 8.6 yards per carry. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 209 rushing yards dating back to last season. Willie Sutton was in the mix too, providing Hawthorne with a touchdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Hawthorne was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 230 rushing yards. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 76.7 rushing yards per game earlier this season, but in their last three games they've averaged 219.7.
Hawthorne didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Leland Johnson and Naziy Gent.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for IMG Academy White, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in September. They were the clear victor by a 35-9 margin over Fort Meade last Friday. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Ascenders considering their seven-point performance the contest before.
Shepherd Miller continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 160 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.4 yards per carry. The team also got some help courtesy of Ian Olsen, who picked up 101 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Hawthorne pushed their record up to 5-1 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. As for IMG Academy White, their record is now an identical 5-1.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Hawthorne has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 148.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like IMG Academy White struggles in that department as they've been averaging 154.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
