The R-S Central Hilltoppers will square off against the Patton Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
R-S Central is returning home triumphant after the team finally put their road woes behind them against Chase on Friday. The Hilltoppers breezed past the Trojans to the tune of 42-7. The game was the first time the Hilltoppers have beaten the Trojans on their field since November 3, 2017.
A big part of R-S Central's victory came down to the chemistry between Rylan Holley and his top target Jakis Smith. Holley threw for 153 yards and four touchdowns while completing 76.9% of his passes while Smith gained 139 total yards and two touchdowns.
R-S Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 272 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 172 rushing yards in six consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Patton). They blew past Draughn, posting a 31-0 win. The high-scoring effort was just what the Panthers needed considering they were shut out in their previous game.
Patton's win came from a few key players R-S Central will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was River McCrary, who rushed for 84 yards and a pair of scores, and also threw for 76 yards and one TD. Alex Ryan was McCrary's top target, picking up -7 receiving yards.
Patton didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as McCrary, Ryan, and Trenton Kidd picked up one apiece.
R-S Central's victory ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-3. As for Patton, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: R-S Central has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 374.8 total yards per game. It's a different story for Patton, though, as they've been averaging only 167.2 total yards. Will R-S Central be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will the Panthers flip the script?
Everything came up roses for R-S Central against Patton in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, as the team secured a 33-6 victory. Will the Hilltoppers repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
