Monday, November 3, 2025
MT. JULIET
WEATHER
Lightning only delayed the celebration for about 24 hours for two historic Friendship Christian School football milestones last Saturday after the Commanders defeated Mt. Juliet 28-3 in the first football game between the two Wilson County Schools.
It was the 300th victory for FCS football coach John McNeal and the first time the Commanders (3-0) played a Class 6A school. McNeal, who has a record of 300-130 in 43 years (including four state championships), received the game ball as his players posed for photos and hugged and exchanged high-fives with students, family members, fans and school administrators on the field.
Approximately 1,600 fans packed Pirtle Field on Friday night. The host school brought in extra bleachers and the Cumberland University Marching Band. Neither team had scored when the game was suspended (8:15 left in the second quarter) until Saturday afternoon because of frequent lightning.
McNeal and Mt. Juliet Coach Trey Perry arranged the two-game series – the teams are scheduled to play at Mt. Juliet in 2026 – last spring when both coaches were trying to fill a hole on the schedule.
The Commanders got two Blake Waldorf to Bradyn Stringer touchdown passes and two interception returns for a touchdown on consecutive plays from scrimmage in the fourth quarter.
“It’s a win and it is always nice to get a win,” McNeal said when asked about the double-significance of the victory. “It just shows I have had good coaches and good players with me. That sounds cliché, I know, but that is exactly what it is.
“And the atmosphere for this game was outstanding. We have played Trousdale and Boyd Buchanan here, but this was just a great, different feel with two county teams.”
Mt. Juliet (0-3) continued to struggle, especially on offense. The Golden Bears have not scored a touchdown this season and have five points in the three games. The most recent time they started the season 0-3 was in 2015. That is also the most recent time they have lost three consecutive games.
“I just told them (his players) I love them,” Perry said. “We just have to go back to the practice field and get back to work.”
The weather was sunny and 67 degrees on Saturday afternoon when the game resumed. Mt. Juliet changed to its gold jerseys because reportedly the white jerseys it wore Friday night could not be cleaned by game time Saturday.
Friendship Christian scored a touchdown on a 36-yard pass from a scrambling Waldorf to Stringer with 13 seconds left in the first half. The scoring pass ended a seven-play, 96-yard drive that included three false start penalties and a roughing the quarterback penalty.
“We don’t practice that play that way, but Blake is just great at getting the ball out when he needs to,” said Stringer, who also turned a pass from Waldorf into a 49-yard scoring pass in the third quarter.
The teams combined for 22 penalties (13 for Friendship Christian), many of them personal fouls.
The Commanders’ defense controlled the game in the fourth quarter, including the two defensive touchdowns in just 15 seconds. Jaxon Pulliam had the first one, with a 70-yard return at the 8:33 mark. On the first play after the kickoff, George Dayton returned an interception 24 yards for another score.
Safety Christian Schiro, replacing a starter who received a concussion on Friday night, according to McNeal, broke up a pass at the goal line in the third quarter and had an interception near the goal line midway through the fourth quarter.
The only highlight for the Golden Bears in the second half was a 30-yard field goal from Tate Merbitz midway through the third quarter. Merbitz had missed a 49-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter and a 52-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter.
The Golden Bears ran the ball 35 times for 138 yards (3.9 yards per carry) but were tackled for a loss seven times. Their two quarterbacks – sophomore CJ Hardy and freshman Sam Scott, who played most of the fourth quarter — combined to complete 10-of-18 passes for 81 yards with three interceptions.
Sophomore Eli Driver led Mt. Juliet in rushing with 18 carries for 60 yards (three carries for 13 yards in the second half). Austin Hardin, another sophomore, was the top receiver with three catches for 31 yards, all in the second half.
Waldorf completed 13-of-18 passes for 186 yards. Stringer was his top receiver with four catches for 138 yards. Waldorf was also the leading rusher for the Commanders with 57 yards on nine carries. FCS ran the ball 22 times for 82 yards (3.7 per carry).
Friendship Christian plays at DeKalb County next Friday and then begins region play on Sept. 19 at home against Clarksville Academy. Mt. Juliet begins region play next Friday at Lebanon.
Friendship Christian 28, Mt. Juliet 3
MJHS – 0 0 3 0 – 3
FCS – 0 7 7 14 – 28
Second Quarter
FCS – Bradyn Stringer 36 pass from Blake Waldorf. Wilson Boyd kick. (:13)
Third Quarter
MJHS – Tate Merbitz 30 field goal. (7:48)
FCS – Stringer 49 pass from Waldorf. Boyd kick. (3:39)
Fourth quarter
FCS – Jaxon Pulliam 70 interception return. Boyd kick. (8:33)
FCS – George Dayton 24 interception return. Boyd kick. (8:18)
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