Football Game Preview: Monticello Panthers vs. Liberty Redhawks

The Monticello Panthers will square off against the Liberty Redhawks at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Monticello comes in still looking for their first win of the season.

Last Thursday, Monticello was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 26-20 to Dover. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' New York football rankings (they are ranked 499th, while the Dragons are ranked 227th).

Defeat or not, Monticello got some senior leadership from Anthony Ortiz and Seth Jackson. Ortiz rushed for 68 yards and one touchdown, while Jackson rushed for 30 yards and one score. Ortiz's longest rush was for an incredible 70 yards.

Meanwhile, Liberty played a tough game on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They lost 28-7 to Spackenkill. The last quarter was a mere formality, since the game's final score was reached by the end of the third quarter.

Monticello's record now sits at 0-9. As for Liberty, their record is now an identical 0-9.

Everything came up roses for Monticello against Liberty in their previous matchup back in September of 2024, as the team secured a 54-16 win. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Redhawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.