After each having a week off, the Mount Paran Christian Eagles and the Holy Innocents Episcopal Golden Bears will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Mount Paran Christian is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Mount Vernon last Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Eagles came up short against the Mustangs, falling 35-14. The loss continues a trend for the Eagles in their meetings with the Mustangs: they've now lost six in a row.
Mount Paran Christian's defeat came about despite a quality game from Eli Hewatt, who rushed for 70 yards on only nine carries, and also threw for 74 yards and one touchdown on only five passes.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Holy Innocents Episcopal against KIPP Atlanta Collegiate last Friday as the team secured a 43-12 win. The Golden Bears might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by 30 points or more this season.
Holy Innocents Episcopal's win came from a few key players Mount Paran Christian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ryan Woods, who rushed for 45 yards and one TD, and also threw for 159 yards and one touchdown on only 15 passes. His passing game has become a key predictor of Holy Innocents Episcopal's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-3 otherwise. Denim Stevens helped out on the ground, rushing for 80 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Holy Innocents Episcopal didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Sam Chasteen, Brayden Bailey, and Finn Ferrero picked up one apiece. Ferrero has been hot, having also posted five or more total tackles the last five times he's played. Bailey got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
The victory made it two in a row for Holy Innocents Episcopal and bumps their season record up to 7-3. Those wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 12 points in those games. As for Mount Paran Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 5-5.
Mount Paran Christian was dealt a bruising 28-0 defeat at the hands of Holy Innocents Episcopal in their previous meeting back in November of 2019. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
