Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Paul VI walked away with it. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Archbishop Carroll Lions on Friday, sneaking past 32-29. The win was all the more spectacular given the Panthers' disadvantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 61st in Virginia, while the Lions are ranked seventh in District of Columbia).
Paul VI didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Dominic Gayle and Grayson Woo. Another thorn in Archbishop Carroll's side was Alex Reyes, who picked up two sacks and made six total tackles.
Despite the defeat, Archbishop Carroll saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Robert Coleman rushed for 85 yards and two TDs on only eight carries.
Panthers
| 11/14/25 vs Archbishop Carroll | 32-29 |
| 11/07/25 vs Bishop O'Connell | 49-0 |
| 11/01/25 @ Bishop Ireton | 42-17 |
| 10/24/25 vs Archbishop Carroll | 17-0 |
The victory was the fourth in a row for Paul VI, bringing their record up to 8-3. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 11.5 points on average over those games. As for Archbishop Carroll, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-6 record this season.
Paul VI will face off against St. Mary's Ryken at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Panthers will need to watch out since the Knights have now posted at least 31 points in their last five matchups. Archbishop Carroll does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
