The Scottsdale Christian Academy Eagles will square off against the Phoenix Christian Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both teams are still undefeated (Scottsdale Christian Academy has 14 wins dating back to last season, while Phoenix Christian has seven).
On Friday, Scottsdale Christian Academy was fully in charge, breezing past Cortez 56-8. Fans of the Eagles have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.
Sean Helgeson
| 10/03/25 @ Cortez | 167.8 |
| 09/26/25 @ Chino Valley | 161.5 |
| 09/19/25 vs Fountain Hills | 161.9 |
| 09/12/25 vs Glendale Prep Academy | 149.3 |
| 09/06/25 @ Bourgade Catholic | 135.4 |
| + 11 more games |
Sean Helgeson continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, throwing for 230 yards and four touchdowns while completing 88.9% of his passes, and also rushing for 40 yards. What's more, he racked up 167.8 passer rating, the most he's had since back in September of 2024. Another player making a difference was Ben Watkins, who rushed for 92 yards and one TD on only eight carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Scottsdale Christian Academy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 256 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 190 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, while Phoenix Christian put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for Mountainside. The Cougars simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Wolves 56-0. The Cougars are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the seventh matchup they've won by 20+ points this season.
Phoenix Christian's win came from a few key players Scottsdale Christian Academy will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kevin Palafox, who rushed for 145 yards and a pair of scores. He showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 62 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Gio Young, who gained 125 total yards and two touchdowns.
Phoenix Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Z'Yeon Rondan, Elijah Kairy, and Cashis Grimwade picked up one apiece. Grimwade got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Scottsdale Christian Academy's victory bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Phoenix Christian, their win bumped their record up to an identical 7-0.
Saturday's game might be decided on the ground. Scottsdale Christian Academy has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 202.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Phoenix Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 333.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Scottsdale Christian Academy was dealt a bruising 49-7 loss at the hands of Phoenix Christian in their previous matchup back in November of 2019. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Eagles were down 28-0.
