The ALA - West Foothills Guardians will square off against the Northwest Christian Crusaders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
ALA - West Foothills is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Paradise Honors on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Guardians took a blow against the Panthers, falling 35-7. The Guardians have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Northwest Christian). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Thunderbird 63-34. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Crusaders with their most commanding win of the season.
Northwest Christian had a senior duo take command as Nathan Johannes gained 312 total yards and six touchdowns and Laki Wallwork threw for 387 yards and seven TDs while completing 91.3% of his passes. Johannes' longest reception was for an incredible 73 yards. Conner Main helped Wallwork out on the ground, picking up 136 receiving yards and one score, while also rushing for 37 yards.
Northwest Christian didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Thunderbird to a completion percentage of just 44.4%. Given Wallwork's standout performance, it's clear the Titans' secondary just wasn't on the same level.
Northwest Christian pushed their record up to 4-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 45.3 points over those games. As for ALA - West Foothills, their loss dropped their record down to 3-3.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. ALA - West Foothills has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 156 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Northwest Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 173.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground. 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
