ACP Football Game Preview 8/25

The Scottsdale Christian Academy Eagles roll into town on Friday night to take on the Knights. Last Friday, the Eagles demolished the Glendale Prep Griffins by a score of 68-0, playing a complete team game and coming out on top. The Knights will enter Friday night’s game looking for both their first points and first win in school history.

Who is the head coach of the Eagles?

The Eagles are coached by Chuck Gibbs, the son of former NFL offensive-line coach Alex Gibbs. Alex coached for numerous NFL teams, including the 1997 and 1998 Denver Broncos teams that won back-to-back Super Bowls. Alex is the mastermind behind the modern zone-blocking scheme used by many offenses today. His son Chuck learned from an early age how to be a coach and even adopted some of his father’s coaching principles. Gibbs, in his 4th season as the head coach of Scottsdale Christian, has built a consistent winner, compiling a 25-11 record in 3 seasons with the Eagles.

Who are the Eagles?

The Scottsdale Christian Eagles, ranked #72 in the state, feature a complete team equipped with an elite running back in Shayne Pahnke and quarterback Grant Schreyer, who are both capable of putting up stellar offensive production. The Eagles have a strong offensive-line, which can create massive holes for their running backs, as seen last week when Pahnke ran for 179 yards on only 10 carries, as well as protect their quarterback, allowing him to work inside the pocket. Their defense is also capable of wreaking havoc on opposing offenses, forcing eight turnovers last week against Glendale Prep, while also scoring a touchdown and recording a safety.

Keys for Knights’ Success

With one game under their belts, the Knights will look to put their best foot forward against Scottsdale Christian. The Knights must be able to play well in all three phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams, in order to have success against the Eagles. The defense will play a key role in the outcome of this game. Last Friday, the defense was dominated at the line of scrimmage and missed numerous tackles. The Knights cannot allow that to happen this week, or else the Eagles offense will have a field day against the Knights. The defense must play better to allow the offense, who struggled mightily last week only totaling 101 yards of offense, to have better field position and more time to get into a rhythm and drive down the field to score. A strong running game will be key for the Knights offense to wear down the Eagles defense and potentially take some pressure off Freshman quarterback Mark Chavez. Keep in mind that the Eagles have an opportunistic defense with the ability to force turnovers. It is imperative the Knights offense take care of the football and not give the Eagles offense extra opportunities. The Knights must keep themselves focused on one play at a time and executing that play. They cannot allow themselves to think too far ahead or else they will be dominated as we saw last Friday. But most importantly, they just need to have fun.

On Friday night, the Knights will have an opportunity to show what they are made of as they take on the Eagles of Scottsdale Christian. Be there in your neon attire at 7:00 P.M. at Andersen Junior High to cheer on your Knights as they look for their first victory in school history.