Football Game Preview: Azle Christian Fighting Crusaders vs. Valor Preparatory Academy Knights

The Azle Christian Fighting Crusaders will challenge the Valor Preparatory Academy Knights at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Azle Christian is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Everything went their way against Christ the King Cathedral as they made off with a 72-46 win. Winning may never get old, but the Fighting Crusaders sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.

Grayson Smith

Receiving Touchdowns

11/21/25 vs Christ the King Cathedral	5
11/14/25 vs Christian Heritage	2
10/31/25 @ Wichita Christian	1
10/24/25 vs Valor Preparatory Academy	2
10/10/25 vs Forestburg	1
+ 9 more games

Azle Christian got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Grayson Smith out in front who picked up 212 receiving yards and five scores, and also rushed for 89 yards on only five carries. That's the most receiving touchdowns Smith has posted since back in October of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jaxon Durham, who threw for 316 yards and seven TDs while completing 80.8% of his passes.

Azle Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Smith and Durham. Smith got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Valor Preparatory Academy won against Kingdom Prep Academy two weeks ago with 66 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. The Knights beat Greenville Christian by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 66-20. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Knights' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 24th, while the Eagles are ranked 126th).

Valor Preparatory Academy's win bumped their record up to 12-0. As for Azle Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 9-2.

Azle Christian was taken down by Valor Preparatory Academy 98-52 when the teams last played back in October. Can the Fighting Crusaders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.