Two dominant backs in Edward Bell and Emmerson Hahn are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Florida School for the Deaf & Blind Dragons will head out on the road to take on the Merritt Island Christian Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Florida School for the Deaf & Blind knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past seven matchups -- so hopefully Merritt Island Christian likes a good challenge.
Florida School for the Deaf & Blind is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They strolled past Ocala Christian with points to spare, taking the game 36-22.
Florida School for the Deaf & Blind's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB five times. Daniel Healy was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two sacks himself.
Meanwhile, Merritt Island Christian put their dominant defense on display in the team's sixth consecutive shutout on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 38-0 win over Countryside Christian. The Cougars' offense checked out after the first half but had enough points banked to take the game anyway.
Merritt Island Christian had a senior duo take command as Bode Handwork threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes and Connor Angstadt picked up 181 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. Handwork also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, forcing two fumbles and making four total tackles.
Merritt Island Christian's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 0.0 points on average over those games. As for Florida School for the Deaf & Blind, their victory bumped their record up to 7-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Florida School for the Deaf & Blind has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 275.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Merritt Island Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 224.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Florida School for the Deaf & Blind took a serious blow against Merritt Island Christian in their previous meeting back in October of 2022, falling 49-14. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Dragons were down 35-14.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
