After two games on the road, Pensacola Catholic is heading back home. After each having a week off, they and the Walton Braves will dust off their jerseys to challenge one another at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Pensacola Catholic's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last five matches.
Two weeks ago, Pensacola Catholic beat St. John Paul II 31-24.
Pensacola Catholic can attribute much of their success to Cj Nettles, who rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown while picking up 8.3 yards per carry, and Tristan Keigley, who picked up 15 receiving yards and a touchdown. Nettles' rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 148 rushing yards.
Pensacola Catholic didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kaleb Johnson and Gavin Lashley. Trenton Henderson was another major factor on D, picking up two sacks, forcing a fumble, and making seven total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Pensacola Catholic was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 216 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 216 rushing yards in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Walton entered their tilt with Blountstown two weeks ago with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Tigers, posting a 48-7 win. The result was nothing new for the Braves, who have now won five contests by 22 points or more so far this season.
Walton found their leader in sophomore Dylan Louthain, who rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.1 yards per carry. Those 222 rushing yards gave Louthain a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Wells Bettenhausen, who threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns while completing 73.7% of his passes.
Walton's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-3. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 29.8 points. As for Pensacola Catholic, their win bumped their record up to 8-1.
The upcoming matchup will be a clash of competing strengths. Pensacola Catholic has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 189.4 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Walton has preferred to attack from the air: they average 284.8 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Everything came up roses for Pensacola Catholic against Walton in their previous matchup back in October, as the squad secured a 52-16 victory. Does Pensacola Catholic have another victory up their sleeve, or will Walton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
