After two games on the road, St. John is heading back home. They will host the Lutheran South Academy Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
St. John's is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Second Baptist just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of the Eagles by a score of 30-28. The loss was the Mavericks' first of the season.
Despite the loss, St. John's got top-tier performance from Cole Allen, who rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.0 yards per carry. St. John's also got help from Owen Almy, who showed off his sure hands for 118 receiving yards.
Even though they lost, St. John's 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 166 rushing yards in eight consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Lutheran South Academy is still undefeated this season after their match against Anahuac on Friday, but Anahuac came as close as anyone has to beating them. Lutheran South Academy narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Anahuac 54-51. The Pioneers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Braeden Robinson was his usual excellent self, picking up 121 receiving yards and a touchdown, while also punching in two rushing scores. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 103 receiving yards per game. Another player making a difference was John LeBlanc, who threw for 198 yards and a touchdown on only 16 passes.
Lutheran South Academy's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Robinson, Noah Harris, and Harris picked up one apiece. Harris also set a new season high mark in total tackles with four.
Having lost for the first time this season, St. John's fell to 3-1. As for Lutheran South Academy, their victory was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. St. John's has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 258.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Lutheran South Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 165.2. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for St. John's against Lutheran South Academy in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, as the squad secured a 58-21 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was LeBlanc, who rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 224 yards and a touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will St. John's still be able to contain LeBlanc? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
