The Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs waltzed into Friday's matchup with three straight wins but they left with four. They blew past Stranahan 44-24. Cardinal Gibbons might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won four contests by 20 points or more this season.
Cardinal Gibbons had a senior duo take command as Patrick Anderson jr. rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.5 yards per carry and Michael Merdinger threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns. The team also got some help courtesy of Jeremiah Chalmers, who picked up 92 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Another reason for the win was Cardinal Gibbons' imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for seven sacks. Auston Francis was especially locked on to Stranahan's QB and sacked him three times.
When it comes to explaining why Stranahan lost, one person who can't be blamed is Tyler Jackson. Despite the final result, he rushed for 162 yards while picking up 9.0 yards per carry, and also threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 59 yards.
Cardinal Gibbons' victory bumped their record up to 7-3. As for Stranahan, their defeat was their third straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 5-5.
Cardinal Gibbons will look to defend their home field on Friday against Clearwater Central Catholic at 6:00 p.m. Clearwater Central Catholic is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt want to keep things rolling. As for Stranahan, they will head out on the road to face off against Fort Lauderdale at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
