The Archbishop Carroll Lions will square off against the Paul VI Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Archbishop Carroll is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: St. Mary's Ryken, who was ranked 18th in their home state at the time (Archbishop Carroll was ranked seventh). The Lions took a blow against the Knights on Friday, falling 42-7. Having soared to a lofty 43 points in the game before, the Lions couldn't push the score so high this time.
Even if they lost, Archbishop Carroll's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Khalil Mohammed, Christopher Wallace, and Joseph Douglas, who each picked up one sack apiece. Archbishop Carroll got some further help from MohaMMed: he picked up a sack and made ten total tackles.
Meanwhile, Paul VI had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 21 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They breezed past the Knights to the tune of 49-0. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won three games by 25 points or more so far this season.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Paul VI, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Adam Corkhill, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Archbishop Carroll's defeat dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Paul VI, their win bumped their record up to 7-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Archbishop Carroll has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 184.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Paul VI struggles in that department as they've been averaging 194 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Archbishop Carroll ended up a good deal behind Paul VI in their previous matchup back in October, losing 17-0. Can the Lions avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
