American Heritage is 8-2 against Cardinal Gibbons since October of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The American Heritage Patriots will be playing at home against the Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs at 7:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only American Heritage walked away with it. They breezed by the Lions at home to the tune of 49-7. The victory was nothing new for American Heritage as they're now sitting on seven straight.
American Heritage found their leader in underclassman Dia Bell, who threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns while completing 92.3% of his passes, and also punched in two touchdowns on the ground. The team also got some help courtesy of Deandre Desinor, who rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Gibbons' offense rose to the challenge against a Eagles defense that boasted an average of only 16.25 points allowed. Cardinal Gibbons put the hurt on Calvary Christian Academy with a sharp 34-9 win on Saturday. Given Cardinal Gibbons' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 43rd, while Calvary Christian Academy is ranked 136th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Among those leading the charge was Patrick Anderson jr., who rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries. Anderson jr. was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 61 yards. Another player making a difference was Michael Merdinger, who threw for 276 yards and a touchdown.
American Heritage's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-1. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.2 points per game. As for Cardinal Gibbons, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 9-3 record this season.
Everything came up roses for American Heritage against Cardinal Gibbons in their previous meeting back in September as the team secured a 48-7 win. Does American Heritage have another victory up their sleeve, or will Cardinal Gibbons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
