First Baptist Academy is 1-0 against Lemon Bay since October of 2022, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The First Baptist Academy Lions will be staying on the road to face off against the Lemon Bay Manta Rays at 7:30 p.m. on October 20th. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Friday, First Baptist Academy got themselves on the board against Neumann, but Neumann never followed suit. They blew past the Celtics, posting a 47-0 win on the road. Given First Baptist Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 85th, while Neumann is ranked 446th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
First Baptist Academy's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Ethan Crossan, who threw for 284 yards and five touchdowns, and Winston Watkins jr., who picked up 188 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Watkins jr. is on a roll when it comes to receiving yards, as he's now posted 100 or more in the last three games he's played. First Baptist Academy also got a significant boost from Sam Sparacio, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 82 yards.
First Baptist Academy's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB 8.5 times. The heavy lifting was done by Nathan Cox and Antonio Amato who racked up four sacks between them.
Meanwhile, Lemon Bay put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their undefeated season alive. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Bayshore 42-6 at home. With Lemon Bay ahead 42-6 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Their wins bumped First Baptist Academy to 5-2 and Lemon Bay to 7-0.
Everything came up roses for First Baptist Academy against Lemon Bay in their previous meeting back in October of 2022 as the team secured a 35-7 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for First Baptist Academy since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
