On Friday IMG Academy will have to hit the road after three straight games at home. They will venture away from home to take on the Central Red Devils at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
IMG Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Florida's top teams: Mandarin, who was ranked 22nd in their home state at the time (IMG Academy was ranked first). IMG Academy blew past Mandarin 49-6 at home on Friday. Considering the Ascenders have won three matches by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
IMG Academy found their leader in underclassman Jayden Wade, who threw for 88 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in a rushing score. Ty Hawkins was another key player, rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Central put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They walked away with a 34-21 win over Enterprise.
Tristan Williams was his usual excellent self, rushing for 224 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.7 yards per carry. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 111.4 rushing yards per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrew Alford, who threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 265 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
IMG Academy pushed their record up to 4-1 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Central, their win bumped their record up to 5-0.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. IMG Academy has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 202.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 198.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
IMG Academy strolled past Central in their previous matchup back in September of 2022 by a score of 41-26. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Central's Jaylen Epps, who threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 41 yards and a touchdown. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for IMG Academy to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
