Rock Ridge is 0-7 against Heritage since September of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Phoenix are taking a road trip to take on the Pride at 7:00 p.m. Rock Ridge has given up an average of 40.4 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Rock Ridge is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Loudoun Valley on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Phoenix were beaten by the Vikings 67-6. While losing is never fun, the Phoenix can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Virginia football rankings (they are ranked 305th, while the Vikings are ranked 54th).
Meanwhile, Heritage hadn't done well against Tuscarora recently (they were 1-6 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Pride were the clear victors by a 34-14 margin over the Huskies. The Pride might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three contests by 20 points or more this season.
Rock Ridge better keep an eye on Luke Olszewski. He was instrumental in Heritage's win, rushing for 207 yards and two TDs on only 13 carries, while also picking up 69 receiving yards and one touchdown. Olszewski is becoming a predictor of the Pride's success: when he posts at least 100 rushing yards the team is undefeated (and 2-3 when he doesn't). Reed Alexander was another key player, rushing for 188 yards and one score.
Heritage was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 399 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.
Heritage's defense made their presence known, laying out Peter Laiti six times. The heavy lifting was done by Eray Uzan and Jj Jorge, who racked up five sacks between them. Jorge is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least six every time he's taken the field this season.
Heritage is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 31.6 points over those games. As for Rock Ridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.
Rock Ridge might still be hurting after the 42-20 loss they got from Heritage in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Olszewski, who rushed for 151 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only six carries. Now that the Phoenix know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
