The Mount Zion Christian Academy Mighty Warriors will head out on the road to take on the Hickory Grove Christian Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Mount Zion Christian Academy is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Wilson Prep just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They came up short against the Tigers, falling 36-16. The matchup marked the Mighty Warriors' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Sherrad Bennard III
| 10/03/25 vs Wilson Prep | 197 |
| 09/19/25 vs East Chapel Hill | 47 |
| 09/12/25 vs South Wake | 101 |
| 09/05/25 @ Northern Durham | 111 |
| 08/23/25 @ Covenant Day | 130 |
Despite the defeat, Mount Zion Christian Academy got top-tier performance from Sherrad Bennard III, who rushed for 197 yards on only 11 carries, and also threw for 137 yards and a pair of TDs on only 12 passes. With that strong performance, Bennard III is now averaging an impressive 117.2 rushing yards per game.
Meanwhile, after only seven points in their last game, Hickory Grove Christian made sure to put some points up on the board against Covenant Day on Friday. Hickory Grove Christian claimed a resounding 36-7 victory over Covenant Day. Hickory Grove Christian might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by 27 points or more this season.
Hickory Grove Christian's win came from a few key players Mount Zion Christian Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jaxson Lee, who threw for 171 yards and two touchdowns while completing 88.9% of his passes. A healthy portion of Lee's aerial production (85 yards to be exact) went to Zach Pierce, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Hickory Grove Christian proved: they limited Covenant Day to a paltry 3.4 yards per carry. The team can thank Jesse Blazi for the heroic effort on defense: he. Hickory Grove Christian didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 5.6.
Hickory Grove Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Noah Belote and Blazi. Blazi has been hot for a while, having also posted five or more total tackles the last 15 times he's played.
Hickory Grove Christian's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 42.7 points over those games. As for Mount Zion Christian Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 3-2.
Mount Zion Christian Academy was taken down by Hickory Grove Christian 42-0 in their previous meeting back in September of 2024. Thankfully for the Mighty Warriors, Anthony Hawkins Jr. (who rushed for 140 yards and four scores while picking up 7.8 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
