The Hernando Christian Academy Lions will head out on the road to face off against the Merritt Island Christian Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Florida (Hernando Christian Academy is ranked eighth, while Merritt Island Christian is ranked ninth).
It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Hernando Christian Academy had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 32-6 margin over Academy at the Lakes. The result was nothing new for Hernando Christian Academy, who have now won seven matchups by 20 points or more so far this season.
Meanwhile, Merritt Island Christian's game on Thursday was all tied up 16-16 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They skirted past Countryside Christian 24-22. The win was just what Merritt Island Christian needed coming off of a 52-30 defeat in their prior match.
Merritt Island Christian's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Bode Handwork, who threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns, and Genesis Grimstead, who gained 152 total yards and two touchdowns. Grimstead was no stranger to the big play, connecting with a big catch that went for 66 yards. Merritt Island Christian also got a significant boost from Max Bunin, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 95 yards.
The win was the third in a row for Hernando Christian Academy, bringing their record for this year to 8-2. They've been dominating during the matchups in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 28.33 points. As for Merritt Island Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 7-4.
Hernando Christian Academy strolled past Merritt Island Christian when the teams last played back in October by a score of 21-6. Does Hernando Christian Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Merritt Island Christian turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
