Two dominant backs in Austin Gaertner and Latavius Moore are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Faith Christian Patriots are taking a road trip to take on the John Paul II Catholic Saints at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Faith Christian is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of North Carolina's top teams: Berean Baptist Academy, who was ranked 17th in their home state at the time (Faith Christian was ranked fifth). Faith Christian breezed by Berean Baptist Academy to the tune of 68-6 on Thursday. The Patriots' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Gaertner was his usual excellent self, rushing for 109 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 109 rushing yards. Isaac Suber also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Faith Christian wouldn't let Berean Baptist Academy keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Faith Christian can thank Paxton Vick and Ayden Tyndall for forcing both of them. Vick also made eight total tackles, which is notable because Faith Christian is undefeated when he posts at least three total tackles, but 2-3 otherwise.
Faith Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 207 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 207 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, John Paul II Catholic got themselves on the board against Liberty Christian Academy on Friday, but Liberty Christian Academy never followed suit. They claimed a resounding 47-0 win over the Heat. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Saints.
It was another big night for Gentry McMinn, who rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries. Those 205 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Hiet Zell also helped out as he racked up 112 rushing yards.
Faith Christian pushed their record up to 7-3 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. As for John Paul II Catholic, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Faith Christian has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 220.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like John Paul II Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 265.7. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Faith Christian was taken down by John Paul II Catholic 55-13 in their previous matchup back in October of 2022. Thankfully for Faith Christian, Rion Roseborough (who rushed for 142 yards and four touchdowns on only seven carries) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
