Despite a phenomenal run in the regular season, Merritt Island Christian couldn't carry that success into this playoff game. They came up short against the Real Life Christian Academy Raptors on Friday, falling 49-26. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Cougars, who until this matchup were averaging 9.62 points allowed.
Caleb Burden was his usual excellent self, throwing for 300 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 11.1 yards per attempt, and also rushing for 101 yards and a pair of TDs on only 12 carries for Real Life Christian Academy. What's more, Burden racked up 146.6 passer rating, the most he's had since back in September. Real Life Christian Academy's leading receiver Inman Beardslee was Burden's top target yet again, picking up 144 receiving yards and two scores.
Cougars
| 11/14/25 vs Real Life Christian Academy | 26-49 |
| 11/07/25 vs Florida School for the Deaf & Blind | 42-6 |
| 10/31/25 vs Countryside Christian | 38-0 |
| 10/24/25 vs Sports Leadership & Management | 42-0 |
| 10/17/25 vs Eastland Christian | 54-0 |
The loss snapped Merritt Island Christian's winning streak at seven games and leaves them with a 11-2 record. As for Real Life Christian Academy, the win keeps them at an undefeated 12-0.
Merritt Island Christian does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Real Life Christian Academy, they will take on Bradenton Christian at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (the Raptors 14.6, the Panthers 8.7) so any points scored will be well earned.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
