The Gilbert Christian Knights are taking a road trip to face off against the Payson Longhorns at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Gilbert Christian will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more points each game than the last.
Gilbert Christian is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their matchup on Friday with ease, bagging a 53-14 win over Apache Junction. Considering the Knights have won six contests by more than 22 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Gilbert Christian got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Kamari Stanbury out in front who picked up 45 receiving yards and one score, and also punched in one rushing score. Pierson Scott got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Gilbert Christian, adding 11 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Stanbury, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Gilbert Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off five passes before the game was over. It was a group effort, with five picking up one apiece. Hyatt Lang got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Payson's offense rose to the challenge against a Cougars defense that boasted an average of only 9.2 points allowed on Friday. The Longhorns walked away with a 35-25 win over Show Low. The Longhorns haven't had any issues with the Cougars recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Payson's win came from a few key players Gilbert Christian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Marco Guereque, who picked up 187 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. Those 187 receiving yards gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Nolan Keeney, who threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes.
Payson was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 207 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Payson's defense and their five sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Ethan Gurtner and Landon Parton, who each picked up 1.5 sacks apiece. Payson got some further help from Gurtner: he picked up 1.5 sacks, forced one fumble, and made seven total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Gilbert Christian's record is now 7-3. As for Payson, their record now sits at an identical 7-3.
