Academy at the Lakes and Canterbury are an even 4-4 against one another since September of 2017, but not for long. After each having a week off, both will dust off their jerseys to square off against one another at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Academy at the Lakes took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Friday. They blew past All Saints' Academy 36-12. The Wildcats' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Meanwhile, Canterbury put another one in the bag last Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat City of Life Christian Academy 54-12 on the road. That 42 point margin sets a new team best for the Crusaders this season.
Canterbury's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jordan Battle, who rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns on only ten carries, and also caught a touchdown. Battle really tore up the turf during one magnificent 70-yard run. Roman Wilder was another key player, rushing for 181 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Canterbury was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 381 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 265 rushing yards in seven consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Canterbury'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 Jeff Anson and Battle. Battle's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 132 rushing yards dating back to last season. JJ Ward was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks and making five total tackles (4.0 for loss).
The win got Academy at the Lakes back to even at 2-2. As for Canterbury, their victory bumped their record up to 4-0.
Academy at the Lakes strolled past Canterbury in their previous matchup back in October of 2023 by a score of 34-20. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Battle, who rushed for 233 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 13.7 yards per carry. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Academy at the Lakes still be able to contain Battle? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
