Two dominant signal callers in Tanner Bushee and Wendell Thompson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Berry Cardinal will be playing at home against the Myers Park Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Berry has struggled recently with five losses in a row, while Myers Park will arrive with five straight victories.
Berry fell victim to Ardrey Kell's stalwart defense back in September and couldn't make it onto the board. They were dealt a 45-0 loss at the hands of the Knights. Despite 68 more yards than Ardrey Kell, Berry couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Meanwhile, Myers Park got themselves on the board against Olympic on Friday, but Olympic never followed suit. They claimed a resounding 49-0 win over the Trojans at home. The result was nothing new for Myers Park, who have now won three contests by 33 points or more so far this season.
Myers Park relied on the efforts of Thompson, who threw for 150 yards and three touchdowns, and RJ Alexander, who rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. Alexander was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 61 yards.
Berry's loss was their seventh straight on the road (dating back to last season), which dropped their overall record down to 2-5. Sadly, the team can't blame their woes on tough opposition, as that stretch included 2-6 Rocky River and 3-7 Myers Park (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 44.4% over those games). As for Myers Park, their victory on Friday bumped their record up to 5-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Berry has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 151.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Myers Park struggles in that department as they've been even better at 154.8 per game. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Berry took a serious blow against Myers Park when the teams last played back in September of 2022, falling 50-0. Will Berry have more luck at home instead of on the road?
