The Pensacola Catholic Crusaders will take on the South Walton Seahawks at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Pensacola Catholic is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They breezed past Bozeman to the tune of 48-0. The victory was nothing new for the Crusaders as they're now sitting on nine straight.
Ethan Crandall was his usual excellent self, rushing for 116 yards and three scores on only 15 carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Pensacola Catholic was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 257 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 188 rushing yards in seven consecutive contests.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Pensacola Catholic, adding 12 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Gavin Lashley, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, South Walton was fully in charge on Friday, breezing past Freeport 42-3. The win continues a trend for the Seahawks in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won seven in a row.
Pensacola Catholic better keep an eye on JD Brown. He was instrumental in South Walton's win, throwing for 283 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 73.3% of his passes, and also punching in three TDs on the ground. That's the most rushing touchdowns Brown has posted since back in October of 2024. Max Baker was another key player, picking up 183 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to South Walton's defense and their three sacks. In that department, Jackson Moffatt was the leader with two.
South Walton's victory bumped their record up to 8-3. As for Pensacola Catholic, their win bumped their record up to 10-1.
Pensacola Catholic beat South Walton 24-13 in their previous meeting back in October. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Baker, who picked up 106 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Crusaders still be able to contain Baker? There's only one way to find out.
