Two dominant backs in Dominic Cook Jr. and Elijah Kimble are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The St. Francis Red Raiders will welcome the Canisius Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. One thing working in St. Francis' favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last six games.
On Friday, St. Francis was able to grind out a solid win over McDowell, taking the game 35-28. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Red Raiders' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked sixth in New York, while the Trojans are ranked 126th in Pennsylvania).
St. Francis got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Trent Buttles out in front who threw for 207 yards and two TDs, and also rushed for 47 yards. The Red Raiders' leading receiver Aiden Hopwood was Buttles' top target yet again, picking up 116 receiving yards and one score.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: St. Francis was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 293 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 235 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Canisius got the win against Varsity Opponent on Saturday by a conclusive 42-21. The result was nothing new for the Crusaders, who have now won three matchups by 21 points or more so far this season.
St. Francis better keep an eye on Matteo Brusco. He was instrumental in Canisius' win, throwing for 174 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 passes, while also punching in one TD on the ground. What's more, Brusco racked up seven rushing yards, the most he's had since back in November of 2024.
Canisius' win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-3. The home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 46.6 points over those games. As for St. Francis, their win bumped their record up to 7-1.
Saturday's game might be decided on the ground. St. Francis has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 256 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Canisius struggles in that department as they've been averaging 261.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
St. Francis suffered a grim 55-34 defeat to Canisius in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Kimble, who rushed for 207 yards and five scores while picking up 12.2 yards per carry. Now that the Red Raiders know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
