Football Preview: Cromwell/Portland Panthers vs. North Branford Thunderbirds
Cromwell/Portland has gone 7-1 against North Branford recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Cromwell/Portland Panthers will challenge the North Branford Thunderbirds at 6:30 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Cromwell/Portland is headed out to face North Branford after opening their season at home and giving their fans just what they were looking for. Cromwell/Portland strolled past Coginchaug Regional/East Hampton/Hale Ray with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 28-12.
Meanwhile, North Branford had to travel to play their first game of the season, but the final result was worth the trip. They breezed by Weaver on the road to the tune of 54-13 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Thunderbirds have posted since September 21, 2023.
Tommy Hansen and Aj Sigel were among the main playmakers for North Branford as the former gained 264 total yards and four touchdowns and the latter rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries. Hansen's longest rush was for an incredible 80 yards.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, North Branford was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 343 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 216 rushing yards in 11 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Everything came up roses for Cromwell/Portland against North Branford in their previous meeting back in November of 2023 as the team secured a 52-18 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Hansen, who rushed for 257 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.3 yards per carry. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Cromwell/Portland still be able to contain Hansen? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
