The Hilliard Red Flashes will head out on the road to take on the Old Plank Christian Academy Defenders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hilliard has given up an average of 29.5 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Hilliard is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight games on Friday. They lost 37-13 to Branford. Having soared to a lofty 48 points in the game before, the Red Flashes couldn't push the score so high this time.
Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Old Plank Christian Academy over Seven Rivers Christian in every quarter on their way to victory on Friday. The Defenders were the clear victors by a 56-32 margin over the Warriors. Considering the Defenders have won three contests by more than 22 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Hilliard better keep an eye on Troy Howell. He was instrumental in Old Plank Christian Academy's win, throwing for 180 yards and four touchdowns while completing 76.9% of his passes, and also rushing for 57 yards and one TD on only six carries. Howell's passing game has become a key predictor of the Defenders' success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise. Termayne Tukes made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Hilliard's loss dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Old Plank Christian Academy, their record is now 4-2.
Things could have been worse for Hilliard, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 19-0 loss to Old Plank Christian Academy when the teams last played back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Howell, who rushed for 125 yards, and also threw for 29 yards and one touchdown. Now that the Red Flashes know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
