The Ocala Christian Crusaders will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against the Calvary Chapel Academy Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Ocala Christian's defense has only allowed 10.2 points per game this season, so Calvary Chapel Academy's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Ocala Christian is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Florida's top teams: Lake Mary Prep, who was ranked seventh in their home state at the time (Ocala Christian was ranked fourth). Ocala Christian narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Lake Mary Prep 14-11. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Crusaders have posted since October 9, 2023.
Ocala Christian's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Joshua Davis, who rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries, and Conrad Bloom, who rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on only 15 carries. Bloom didn't just play on offense: he also picked up three sacks, made seven total tackles (5.0 for loss), and defended a pass.
Ocala Christian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 283 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 203 rushing yards in eight consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Ocala Christian's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB four times. Bloom was especially locked on to Lake Mary Prep's QB and sacked him three times. The dominant performance gave Bloom a new career-high in rushing yards.
Meanwhile, Calvary Chapel Academy was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 30-24 to Four Corners. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Calvary Chapel Academy's defeat came about despite a quality game from Isaiah Soliz, who rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.3 yards per carry. Calvary Chapel Academy also got help from Aiden Bishop, who showed off his sure hands for 90 receiving yards.
Ocala Christian pushed their record up to 4-0 with that win, which was their third straight on the road. As for Calvary Chapel Academy, they now have a losing record at 2-3.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Ocala Christian has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 356.5 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Calvary Chapel Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 89.5. How will they fare against such a dominant running game? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
