Football Recap: Marcus Cantrell Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Columbia Academy + How To Watch

There's no place like home for Pope John Paul II, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They came out on top against the Columbia Academy Bulldogs by a score of 34-21 on Saturday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Knights needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.

Marcus Cantrell

Rushing Yards (Career)

09/06/25 vs Columbia Academy	202
08/22/25 @ Lakeway Christian Academy	133
09/13/24 vs The Webb School	42
09/06/24 @ Christ Presbyterian Academy	39
08/29/25 @ East Robertson	38

Pope John Paul II's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Marcus Cantrell, who rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Those 202 rushing yards gave Cantrell a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Isaiah Batten, who threw for 260 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 78.3% of his passes.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Pope John Paul II proved: they limited Columbia Academy to a paltry 2.9 yards per carry. The team can thank Kyrin Coleman for the heroic effort on defense: he. Pope John Paul II didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 6.5.

Pope John Paul II didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Timothy Curtis and Price Fowler. Pope John Paul II got some further help from Coleman: he made 14 total tackles.

Although Columbia Academy took the loss, they still got scores from Jackson Usherwood, Maine Metz, and Aiden Hunnicutt.

Pope John Paul II now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Columbia Academy, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 1-2.

Pope John Paul II wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next contest, a 38-35 loss against Franklin Road Academy on the 12th. As for Columbia Academy, they also didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 42-20 defeat against Lincoln County on the 11th.