Candlelight Christian Academy is 3-0 against Excel Christian Academy since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Candlelight Christian Academy Flames will head out on the road to take on the Excel Christian Academy Spartans at 7:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Candlelight Christian Academy comes in on five and Excel Christian Academy on six.
Even though Candlelight Christian Academy has not done well against Winter Haven Christian recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Candlelight Christian Academy blew past Winter Haven Christian 66-40. Candlelight Christian Academy's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
It was another big night for Rah'Quez Shepard, who scored 21 points along with nine rebounds and three steals. Ronald Padilla-Cordero was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with five steals.
Meanwhile, even though McKeel Academy scored an imposing 56 points on Friday, Excel Christian Academy still came out on top. Excel Christian Academy strolled past McKeel Academy with points to spare, taking the game 73-56.
Excel Christian Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but William Medina led the charge by scoring 22 points along with two steals. Another player making a difference was Jeremy Russell, who scored 17 points.
Candlelight Christian Academy pushed their record up to 6-1 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.0 points per game. As for Excel Christian Academy, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-4 record this season.
Candlelight Christian Academy was able to grind out a solid win over Excel Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in February of 2021, winning 64-56. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Excel Christian Academy's Yan Perez, who scored 22 points. Now that he won't be playing on Monday, will it be that much easier for Candlelight Christian Academy to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
