Lawrence Central hasn't had much luck against Center Grove recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Lawrence Central Bears will challenge the Center Grove Trojans at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Lawrence Central is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Indiana's top teams: Pike, who was ranked 19th in their home state at the time (Lawrence Central was ranked 16th). Lawrence Central walked away with a 22-14 victory over Pike on Friday.
The critical scores for Lawrence Central came from Albert Gooden Iii, Nizyi Davis, and Davis.
Lawrence Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 219 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pike only rushed for 61.
Lawrence Central wouldn't let Pike keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Lawrence Central can thank Gian Carter and Davis for forcing both of them. Lawrence Central got some further help from Robert Beasley: he picked up two sacks, made seven total tackles (4.0 for loss), and made seven total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Center Grove had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 28-25 win over the Rams.
Center Grove got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Nolan Rees out in front who rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown. Another pass catcher making a difference was Tristan Baxter, who picked up 92 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Center Grove's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Luke Barrett and James Soderdahl. Soderdahl is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in the last four games he's played.
Lawrence Central's record now sits at 2-3. As for Center Grove, their record now sits at 4-1.
Lawrence Central might still be hurting after the 31-7 loss they got from Center Grove in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. Can Lawrence Central avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
