After starting their season with two straight games on the road, Phoenix Christian is finally coming home. They will be defending their home-fieldthey go up against the Arizona Lutheran Academy Coyotes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Arizona Lutheran Academy took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Phoenix Christian, who comes in off a win.
Phoenix Christian is headed into the matchup having just posted their closest win since August 25, 2023 on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 22-20 victory over Benson.
Kevin Palafox was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.3 yards per carry. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 114.5 rushing yards per game.
Another reason for the win was Phoenix Christian's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. In that department, Aaron Whitten was the leader with three. His also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up three sacks and making six total tackles (5.0 for loss). Phoenix Christian got some further help from Luke Hocking: he picked up a sack, forced two fumbles, and made four total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Phoenix Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 253 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Benson only rushed for 142.
Meanwhile, Arizona Lutheran Academy came up short against Gilbert Christian on Thursday and fell 21-14. The Coyotes gained 67 more yards on the day, but it was the Knights that made the best use of them.
Arizona Lutheran Academy might have lost, but man, Elijah Harris was a machine: he rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.5 yards per carry. Arizona Lutheran Academy also got a significant boost from Sebby Guye, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 85 yards.
Phoenix Christian's win bumped their record up to 2-0. As for Arizona Lutheran Academy, their defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 0-2.
Phoenix Christian took a serious blow against Arizona Lutheran Academy in their previous meeting back in September of 2022, falling 44-14. Will Phoenix Christian have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
