Venice hasn't had much luck against IMG Academy recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Venice Indians will look to defend their home field against the IMG Academy Ascenders at 7:30 p.m. Venice will be looking to keep their 14-game home win streak dating back to last season alive.
Venice will head into Friday's matchup hoping to keep the good times rolling: they only won by three when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 43-point they dealt Lehigh on Friday. Venice simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Lehigh 50-7 on the road. That 43 point margin sets a new team best for the Indians this season.
Alex Schafer was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries, and also threw for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Dorien Irving-Jones, who rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Venice was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 328 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 204 rushing yards in nine consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, IMG Academy faced Mandarin in a battle between two of the state's top teams last Friday. IMG Academy blew past Mandarin 49-6 at home. Winning may never get old, but the Ascenders sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
IMG Academy found their leader in underclassman Jayden Wade, who threw for 88 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in a rushing score. Ty Hawkins was another key player, rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Venice's win bumped their record up to 6-0. As for IMG Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Venice has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 319.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like IMG Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 202.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Venice took a serious blow against IMG Academy in their previous meeting back in September of 2020, falling 49-13. Thankfully for Venice, J.J. Mccarthy (who threw for 341 yards and five touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
