Calvary Christian has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Calvary Christian's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last five contests.
Calvary Christian had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Clearwater 48-20 at home. Calvary Christian might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won nine matches by 24 points or more this season.
Calvary Christian's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jacob Drackett led the charge by throwing for 265 yards and four touchdowns while completing 72.2% of his passes. Drackett is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in the last six games he's played. Calvary Christian also got help from Josh Robinson who showed off his sure hands for 88 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, Berkeley Prep had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 26.3 points), and they went ahead and made it seven on Friday. They took down Tampa Catholic 42-28. Given Berkeley Prep's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 49th, while Tampa Catholic is ranked 135th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Among those leading the charge was Joseph Troupe, who rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Dallas Golden, who gained 89 total yards and two touchdowns.
Another reason for the win was Berkeley Prep's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Gavin Holman was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up 2.5 sacks himself.
Calvary Christian pushed their record up to 10-2 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home. As for Berkeley Prep, their win bumped their record up to an identical 10-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Calvary Christian has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 155 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Berkeley Prep struggles in that department as they've been even better at 248.4 per game. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Calvary Christian beat Berkeley Prep 28-21 when the teams last played back in September. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Berkeley Prep's Golden, who rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for three yards and a touchdown while completing 100% of his passes. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Calvary Christian still be able to contain him? There's only one way to find out.
