The Scottsdale Christian Academy Eagles will face off against the Willcox Cowboys at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Scottsdale Christian Academy 11.2, Willcox 11.8) so any points scored will be well earned.
Scottsdale Christian Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They walked away with a 14-7 victory over San Tan Charter. The 14-point effort marked the Eagles' lowest-scoring game of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
The critical scores for Scottsdale Christian Academy came from Nathaniel Elrod and Dom Dickerson.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Scottsdale Christian Academy proved: they limited San Tan Charter to a paltry 3.4 yards per carry. While three picked up at least three total tackles, Dickerson stood above the rest. He picked up 41 receiving yards and one TD. Scottsdale Christian Academy's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 5.1.
Meanwhile, Willcox got the win against Benson on Friday by a conclusive 26-6. The result was nothing new for the Cowboys, who have now won six contests by 20 points or more so far this season.
Scottsdale Christian Academy better keep an eye on Kaleb Cooke. He was instrumental in Willcox's win, rushing for 219 yards and three scores while picking up 9.1 yards per carry, and also picking up 38 receiving yards. Cooke also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up a sack and making seven total tackles.
Willcox's defense made their presence known, laying out Dawson Judd 11 times. The heavy lifting was done by Alan Allred and Vlad Semyanko, who racked up seven sacks between them.
Scottsdale Christian Academy's win was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 45.3 points this season. As for Willcox, their win bumped their record up to 10-2.
Saturday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Scottsdale Christian Academy has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 173.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Willcox struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 217.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Scottsdale Christian Academy against Willcox in their previous matchup back in November of 2023, as the squad secured a 49-7 victory. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cowboys turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
