Indian Rocks Christian is 0-6 against Clearwater Central Catholic since September of 2015 but things could change on Friday. After each having a week off, the two teams will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:30 p.m. Indian Rocks Christian will aim to continue their four-game streak of scoring more points each matchup than the last.
Indian Rocks Christian is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed past Seminole to the tune of 41-6 last Friday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Indian Rocks Christian's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jackson Rockefellar, who rushed for 82 yards and a pair of scores. Jackson Tew was in the mix as well, providing the Eagles with two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Clearwater Central Catholic, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in October. They claimed a resounding 49-7 victory over Boca Ciega. Considering the Marauders have won six contests by more than 34 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Indian Rocks Christian better keep an eye on Khayse Barrett. He was instrumental in Clearwater Central Catholic's win, throwing for 140 yards and two TDs while completing 90.9% of his passes, and also rushing for 37 yards. Barrett's passing game has become a key predictor of the Marauders' success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise. Another rusher making a difference was Corey Simms, who rushed for 75 yards and one score on only ten carries.
Clearwater Central Catholic didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Boca Ciega to a completion percentage of just 40%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from seven players: Kellan Jackson, Santonio Smith, Harrell Clyde, Daveon Belhomme, Dicarieze Williams, Jonas Jackson, and Tyree Jones, who each logged one passes deflected. Clearwater Central Catholic wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 84.6%.
Indian Rocks Christian's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-6. As for Clearwater Central Catholic, their record now sits at 8-2.
Indian Rocks Christian was taken down by Clearwater Central Catholic 52-6 in their previous matchup back in September. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Barrett, who threw for 265 yards and four touchdowns while completing 92.3% of his passes. Now that the Eagles know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
