The Trinity Christian Crusaders will square off against the Asheville School (Independent) Blues at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Trinity Christian is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat SouthLake Christian Academy 58-20. The Crusaders haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Trinity Christian found their leader in freshman Bralynn Howard, who threw for 250 yards and five TDs while completing 73.7% of his passes. Amir Jackson helped Howard out on the ground, picking up 74 receiving yards and a pair of scores, while also rushing for 30 yards.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Trinity Christian proved: they limited SouthLake Christian Academy to a paltry three yards per carry. The team can thank Dontario Austin for the heroic effort on defense: he. Trinity Christian hasn't allowed more than 4.5 yards per carry in six consecutive contests.
Trinity Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Amari Robinson, Austin, and Baganley Donzo picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, Asheville School (Independent) made easy work of Wayne Christian on Friday and carried off a 28-7 win. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Blues' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 117th, while the Eagles are ranked 336th).
Trinity Christian better keep an eye on Shiloh Mukendi. He was instrumental in Asheville School (Independent)'s win, rushing for 108 yards and one touchdown on only seven carries. Another player making a difference was Marvyn Larozar, who gained 71 total yards and a touchdown.
Asheville School (Independent)'s victory bumped their record up to 6-2-1. As for Trinity Christian, their win bumped their record up to 8-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Trinity Christian has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 173.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Asheville School (Independent) struggles in that department as they've been averaging 218.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Trinity Christian ended up a good deal behind Asheville School (Independent) in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, losing 28-14. Can the Crusaders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
