Football Game Preview: Peoria Panthers vs. Thunderbird Titans + Official Tickets

The Peoria Panthers will face off against the Thunderbird Titans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Peoria has five straight victories, Thunderbird has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

On Friday, Peoria didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Northwest Christian, but they still walked away with a 21-16 win.

Javon Bell

Rushing Yards

10/03/25 @ St. Mary's	170
08/29/25 @ Deer Valley	165
09/27/25 vs Poston Butte	141
10/24/25 vs Northwest Christian	112
10/10/25 vs Paradise Honors	107

Peoria found their leader in sophomore Cristian Zarate, who rushed for 111 yards and one touchdown. The Panthers also got a significant boost from Javon Bell, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 112 yards.

Peoria was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 232 rushing yards. They are a perfect 5-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.

On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Peoria's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Devonte Hendrix, Brandon Castellanos, and Carter Guggenberger, who each picked up one sack apiece. Another thorn in Northwest Christian's side was Hendrix, who picked up a sack and made seven total tackles (2.0 for loss) in addition to snagging an interception.

Meanwhile, Thunderbird fell victim to ALA - West Foothills and their airtight defense on Friday. They took a blow against the Guardians, falling 35-0. The contest marked the first time this season in which the Titans were not able to get on the board.

Peoria's victory bumped their record up to 6-3. As for Thunderbird, their loss dropped their record down to 6-4.

Everything came up roses for Peoria against Thunderbird in their previous matchup back in September of 2019, as the squad secured a 54-12 win. In that matchup, the Panthers amassed a halftime lead of 26-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.