The Crestview Bulldogs will face off against the Escambia Gators at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Crestview is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their contest on Friday with ease, bagging a 41-0 victory over Navarre. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 98th, while the Raiders are ranked 242nd) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Crestview's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Zy Tassin, who rushed for 85 yards on only 12 carries, and also threw for 43 yards and one touchdown. Another back making a difference was Che'Shon Cobb, who rushed for 61 yards and one TD.
Crestview's run defense was locked in: Navarre could only muster -1.2 yards per carry. The team can thank Landon Scott for the heroic effort on defense: he. Crestview didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.4.
Meanwhile, Escambia had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They blew past the Tigers, posting a 46-6 victory. That 40 point margin sets a new team best for the Gators this season.
Escambia's win came from a few key players Crestview will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Billy Dunn, who threw for 244 yards and five touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes, and also rushed for 93 yards on only 11 carries. What's more, he racked up 149 passer rating, the most he's had since back in October of 2024. Escambia's leading receiver Cashon Downs was Dunn's top target yet again, picking up 125 receiving yards and three scores.
Escambia didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off seven passes before the game was over. Dunn led the group effort, picking up three of those interceptions all by himself. His passing game has become a key predictor of Escambia's success: the team is 3-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 0-3 otherwise.
The win got Crestview back to even at 3-3. As for Escambia, their victory bumped their record up to 3-4.
Crestview couldn't quite finish off Escambia when the teams last played back in October of 2024 and fell 23-20. Will the Bulldogs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
