The Althoff Catholic Crusaders will take on the Mater Dei Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Althoff Catholic's win against Collinsville wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Crusaders narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Kahoks 16-14. Those 16 points were actually the fewest the Crusaders have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Meanwhile, Mater Dei humbled Miller Career Academy/Vashon/Sumner with a 48-8 victory. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 34-0.
Althoff Catholic better focus on containing Hunter Hochbaum and Bodie Brockmeier as the pair were huge in Mater Dei's win. Hochbaum threw for 170 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 passes, while Brockmeier rushed for 129 yards and a pair of TDs on only 13 carries. Hochbaum's passing game has become a key predictor of Mater Dei's success: the team is 2-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 0-3 otherwise. Will Meyer was in the mix as well, providing the Knights with one score.
Mater Dei was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 200 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.
One reason for the win was Mater Dei's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for seven sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Liam Koetting and Reed Pingsterhaus, who racked up four sacks between them. Mater Dei received some extra help from Meyer, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Mater Dei's win bumped their record up to 2-4. As for Althoff Catholic, the victory snapped their losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 3-3 record.
Everything came up roses for Althoff Catholic against Mater Dei when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 46-6 win. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
