Father Ryan Looks To Ground District-Leading Eagles
Brentwood Academy (6-1, 4-0) makes the trip up Franklin Pike to face off against district opponent Father Ryan (4-3, 1-2). The Fighting Irish are coming off a win over Spring Hill, while the Eagles are coming off a drubbing of MBA.
Run-Option Irish Look To Control The Ground Game
Father Ryan has beaten teams with the three-headed monster in the backfield. Quarterback Zack Pfeifer and running backs Collin Brown and Bryce Vickers have all run for over 300 yards on the season and have each run for over 100 yards in one game this year. Pfeifer leads the team in carries (81), yards (386), and rushing touchdowns (6). Brown and Vickers have each added 3 touchdowns each on the season.
When the Irish have taken to the air, they have been led by BJ Bishop, Ethan Jackson, and Sage Warren receiving. Jackson has caught 22 passes for 229 yards for 2 touchdowns. Bishop has added 12 catches for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Warren has 16 catches, 189 yards, and 3 touchdowns.
Defensively, Father Ryan has been led by Patrick Beacom and George Hooker with 50 and 45 tackles, respectively. Beacom also has 3 sacks, while Jeremy Darvin leads the Irish with 3.5 sacks. Hooker leads the Irish with 2 interceptions. The Irish have had a majority of their defensive success in recovering 8 fumbles on the season.
Eagles Look To Continue Regional Dominance
Since their loss to Louisville Trinity, Brentwood Academy has dominated their competition, scoring at least 42 points in each of their 5 games. In district play, the Eagles have averaged 47 points per game, while holding district foes to 14.5 points per game.
The Eagles success has been predicated on Jeremiah Oatsvall. On the season, Oatsvall has thrown for 912 yards and rushed for 531 yards, accounting for 16 total touchdowns for the Eagles. Oatsvall is coming off a 425 total yards, 5 touchdown performance against MBA. On the ground, Oatsvall has been complimented by running back Prince Momodu. Momodu is coming off a 19 carry, 198 yard, 1 touchdown performance against MBA. With three SEC-committed linemen, BA has the road graders up front for a successful night on the ground.
Oatsvall’s favorite receiver has been Camron Johnson, who leads the Eagles in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Defensively, Johnson has led BA in interceptions, picking off at least one pass in their district games this season. The Eagles defense has been stingy, shutting down their opponents’ passing attacks.
This week’s matchup is huge for both teams. For the Irish, a win keeps them in the postseason hunt with only 3 games left in the season. For the Eagles, a win secures a first round bye in the division II playoffs. Brentwood Academy comes in as one of the best teams in the state, dominating opponents week in and week out. Father Ryan’s option offense is facing a defense that has given up more yards on the ground than they have through the air. While this looks to be a monumental task for Father Ryan, the Irish look to ride the momentum of last week’s game into this week’s matchup.
