The Northwest Christian Crusaders and the Mica Mountain Thunderbolts squared off in some playoff action on Friday, but sadly the Northwest Christian Crusaders had to settle for second. They were the victim of a rough 38-17 defeat at the hands of the Thunderbolts. The match was a 17-17 toss-up at halftime, but Northwest Christian couldn't answer the 21 points Mica Mountain scored afterwards.
When it comes to explaining why Northwest Christian lost, one person who can't be blamed is Evan Tarasenko. Despite the final result, he threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Marshall Gillette was another key contributor, picking up 107 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Mica Mountain's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Conner Hangarner, who rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries. Hangarner is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last three games he's played. Jonah Garcia was in the mix too, providing Mica Mountain with three touchdowns.
Northwest Christian has not been sharp recently, as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-3 record this season. As for Mica Mountain, they have yet to lose a contest at home this season, leaving them with a 11-1 record.
Northwest Christian does not have any more games scheduled as of now. Mica Mountain will head out on the road to face off against Canyon del Oro at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Canyon del Oro will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
