McCutcheon is 2-8 against Lafayette Jefferson since September of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. After each having a week off, the two teams will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m.
Last Friday, McCutcheon came up short against Indianapolis Lutheran and fell 23-13. While the Mavericks had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Saints 7-0.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Jaymar Johnson Jr., who picked up 91 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Meanwhile, Lafayette Jefferson entered their tilt with Muncie Central last Friday with seven consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with eight. They blew past the Bearcats 55-22. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Bronchos' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana football rankings (they are ranked 25th, while the Bearcats are ranked 104th).
Lafayette Jefferson's win came from a few key players McCutcheon will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Trysten Barrett, who threw for 386 yards and five TDs while completing 79.4% of his passes. Those 386 passing yards gave him a new career-high. Lafayette Jefferson's leading receiver Omar Williams Jr was Barrett's top target yet again, picking up 166 receiving yards and three scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Lafayette Jefferson's defense and their four sacks. Leading the way was Aaden Aytch with 2.5. He also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with 15. Lafayette Jefferson got some further help from Ka'Vion Campbell-Walker: he forced two fumbles and made 20 total tackles.
McCutcheon's defeat dropped their record down to 2-7. As for Lafayette Jefferson, their victory bumped their record up to 8-1.
The upcoming game will be a clash of competing strengths. McCutcheon has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 158.6 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Lafayette Jefferson has preferred to attack from the air: they average 308.1 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
McCutcheon was taken down by Lafayette Jefferson 42-0 when the teams last played back in September. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Bronchos' Marquis Adkins, who rushed for 88 yards and five touchdowns. Now that the Mavericks know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
