The Xavier Knights will take on the Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Xavier's defense has only allowed 11 points per game this season, so Archbishop Stepinac's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Xavier is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their game on Friday with ease, bagging a 34-6 win over Holy Cross. Xavier hasn't had any issues with Holy Cross recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Peter Heaney
| 10/03/25 @ Holy Cross | 163 |
| 09/28/24 vs Holy Cross | 151 |
| 09/13/25 @ St. Peter's | 126 |
| 09/20/25 @ St. Francis Prep | 115 |
| 10/05/24 vs Holy Trinity | 113 |
Peter Heaney was his usual excellent self, rushing for 163 yards and a pair of scores on only 15 carries. Those 163 rushing yards gave him a new career-high.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Xavier was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 324 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 220 rushing yards in eight consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Stepinac faced Cardinal Hayes in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Crusaders walked away with a 14-6 win over the Cardinals. The game was the first time the Crusaders have beaten the Cardinals on their field since November 17, 2018.
Archbishop Stepinac's win came from a few key players Xavier will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Grayer Hong, who threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns. The team also got some help courtesy of Richie Demarco, who picked up 88 receiving yards and one TD.
Archbishop Stepinac's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB eight times. Elias Murray was especially locked on to Cardinal Hayes' QB and sacked him three times. Archbishop Stepinac got some further help from Dean Gaughran: he picked up a sack and made 11 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Archbishop Stepinac's victory bumped their record up to 4-2. As for Xavier, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.
Saturday's contest might be decided on the ground. Xavier has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 290.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Archbishop Stepinac struggles in that department as they've been averaging 148.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
