Ford is on a six-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Sunnyvale is on a four-game streak of away wins (also dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Panthers will welcome Sunnyvale at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Ford's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
On Friday, Ford took their game with ease, bagging a 49-15 win over Ferris. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 35-7.
Ford's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Devon Williams led the charge by rushing for 80 yards and a pair of scores, while also picking up 34 receiving yards. Payton Wallen was another key player, rushing for 59 yards and one touchdown.
Ford's run defense was locked in: Ferris could only muster 2.8 yards per carry. The team can thank Emmanuel Sevilla for the heroic effort on defense: he. That's the most yards per carry they've posted since back in November of 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Sunnyvale). They breezed past Kemp to the tune of 77-0 on Friday. The final result isn't all that surprising considering Sunnyvale's considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 196th, while Kemp is ranked 1114th).
Ford better keep an eye on Cayson Maupin. He was instrumental in Sunnyvale's win, throwing for 202 yards and four TDs on perfect 8-for-8 passing. The dominant performance also gave Maupin a new career-high in passer rating (177.1). Another player making a difference was Jaden Cross, who gained 69 total yards and two touchdowns.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Sunnyvale, adding 17 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Drew Gardner, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Ford's victory bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Sunnyvale, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Ford was dealt a bruising 41-14 defeat at the hands of Sunnyvale in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Maupin, who threw for 175 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed for 48 yards. Now that the Panthers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
