After three games on the road, North Florida Christian is heading back home. They will host the St. John Paul II Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Given that both suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Last Friday, North Florida Christian ended up a good deal behind Valwood and lost 28-10. While losing is never fun, the Eagles can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 446th in Florida, while the Valiants are ranked 199th in Georgia).
Despite the loss, North Florida Christian saw an underclassman step up: Marcus Rosier forced a fumble and made 14 total tackles. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 51 yards.
North Florida Christian wouldn't let Valwood keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. North Florida Christian can thank Rosier and Jaxon Gustafson for forcing both of them. Rosier has been hot recently, having also posted six or more total tackles the last three times he's played.
Meanwhile, St. John Paul II was not able to break out of their rough patch two weeks ago as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They came up short against IMG Academy White, falling 48-27. The matchup was a 21-21 toss-up at halftime, but the Panthers couldn't quite close it out.
The losing side was boosted by Gavin Ford, who threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns. What's more, he also racked up 15 rushing yards, the mosthe's had since back in October of 2023. Gavin Yates-Lyons also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
North Florida Christian dropped their record down to 1-4 with the loss, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for St. John Paul II, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-3.
North Florida Christian was able to grind out a solid victory over St. John Paul II in their previous meeting back in November of 2023, winning 21-14. Does North Florida Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will St. John Paul II turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
