The Page Patriots look to keep rolling when they visit Tullahoma Friday, while Battle Ground Academy aims to end its two-game losing skid at Davidson Academy. Grace Christian Academy has a chance to build on its Week 6 win when it hosts Columbia Academy.
See below for a closer look at those matchups:
BGA (4-2) at Davidson Academy (3-2), 7 p.m. Friday*
What looked like a stout Battle Ground Academy defense through four games this season has not performed quite so well the last two weeks.
Going into Friday’s matchup with the Bears of Davidson County, the Wildcats are hoping to see the kind of defense they played in their first four games.
In its four-game winning streak to start the season, BGA gave up just 31 points (7.75 per game). In losses to Page and University School of Jackson the last two weeks, though, the Wildcats have given up 45 and 52 points, respectively (48.5 per game).
Last week in a rivalry game against Page, BGA’s defense allowed the Patriots to gain 437 yards (269 rushing) en route to a 45-7 loss.
Davidson Academy’s offense won’t provide much relief to the Wildcats’ struggling defense. Led by sophomore quarterback Stone Norton (1,045 passing yards, 10 TDs, four INTs), the Bears have averaged 29 points per game this season and went for 49 in a win over Concord Christian last week.
Not only will BGA’s defense have to be improved Friday, but its offense will also have to look better than it did against Page in Week 6 when it gained just 206 total yards (137 passing).
Junior quarterback Drew Martin (1,279 yards passing, 12 TDs, four INTs) in particular will look to shake off a quiet game against Page in which he threw for just 95 yards and one touchdown.
If the Wildcats want to get back to their winning ways and avoid a situation like last season when they started 5-0 but finished just 6-4, they will have to make some adjustments at Davidson Academy Friday.
Page (3-2, 2-0) at Tullahoma (0-6, 0-2), 7 p.m. Friday*
A big 45-7 win over rival Battle Ground Academy has the Page Patriots exuding confidence heading into Friday’s contest against the winless Tullahoma Wildcats.
The Patriots have won two games in a row and are looking like they are hitting on all cylinders both on offense and defense. The Wildcats, though, are a different story.
Tullahoma is scoring just 13 points per game this season while it is giving up an average of 43 points per game to opponents. Four times this year teams have scored more than 40 points against the Wildcats.
Page’s offense, which has recently been led by freshman running back Donald “Bubba” Johnson, should be itching to get after the Wildcats’ defense. Johnson has rushed for 479 yards and five touchdowns this season. He’s had 124 and 137 yards on the ground over the past two games.
A win would keep Page atop the Region 4-4A standings alongside Marshall County (5-1, 2-0).
Grace Christian Academy (1-4, 1-3) vs. Columbia Academy (4-0, 4-0), 7 p.m. Friday*
The Grace Christian Academy Lions may have gotten some anger out in Week 6.
After starting the season with four-straight losses by an average margin of 3.75 points per game, the Lions dismantled Richland 40-7 for their first win of the season.
In order to turn their first win into the start of a winning streak, GCA will have to hand the Columbia Academy Bulldogs their first loss of the season Friday.
The Region 4-1A leading Bulldogs have averaged 35 points per game, but their defense has been suspect, at times. They are giving up 20 points per game to opponents, and in Week 5 against Fayetteville they surrendered 32 points in a 34-32 win.
