This should be a good one.
Games that feel this big aren’t supposed to happen in September.
But on Friday 3A State Champion Christ Presbyterian Academy plays at Division II-AA 2014 State Championship runner-up Ensworth.
Sure, it is not a district game and so the playoffs are not really at stake. But bragging rights, pride and confidence are.
The last time CPA lost was in 2013 in the State Championship. In fact CPA won its last 49 regular season games, going back to 2011. And for posterity, 50 straight has a certain ring to it that 49 does not.
Lions and Tigers and Football
After making it to the Division II-AA State Championship game last year, losing to Montgomery Bell Academy, Ensworth is having a bit of a down regular season. The Tigers, who lost just once in the regular season last year, already lost three times in 2015.
CPA, of course, comes in having won five straight. The Lions average a little more than 35 points per game, and allow teams to score a little less than 22 points per game. Ensworth puts up 22 points per game, with opponents scoring almost 26. Although those numbers skew a bit from a 45-0 loss to Kentucky powerhouse Trinity.
The Lions are led by quarterback Zack Weatherly, who passed so far for 720 yards and 6 touchdowns, with no interceptions, completing 45 of 64 attempts. He also rushed for 3 more touchdowns. His favorite target is the dangerous and dynamic playmaker Price Perdue, who averages a ridiculous 23 yards per reception. Perdue’s 18 catches for 415 yards and 3 touchdowns lead the team.
Running the ball, old reliable Chip Omer and his 5.9 yards per carry. He has 329 yards and 4 touchdowns on 56 carries.
“Our kids are getting better each day at practice, and they are excited,” said Lions coach Ingle Martin.
With so many teams on bye this week, the stadium at Ensworth should be packed. The Lions seem like the kind of team that gets better under pressure. But Ensworth might be the toughest team CPA plays this year. It should be quite a game.
Tune into 104.5 the Zone on Friday for live updates on this and other Williamson County games.
For in depth analysis of how CPA is built, check out PrepWeekly.com
