The Geneva Panthers will face off against Newark/Marion at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Geneva will be strutting in after a victory while Newark/Marion will be coming in after a defeat.
On Friday, Geneva strolled past Wayne with points to spare, taking the game 28-14. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Panthers.
TRAVIS TOLBERT JR. was a one-man wrecking crew as he rushed for 134 yards and one touchdown on only 15 carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Geneva was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 361 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Geneva's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB six times. In that department, Amari Jamison Kennedy was the leader with two sacks.
Meanwhile, Newark/Marion was just a hair shy of victory on Friday and fell 28-27 to Penn Yan Academy/Dundee. While losing is never fun, Newark/Marion can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' New York football rankings (they are ranked 362nd, while Penn Yan Academy/Dundee is ranked 159th).
Geneva will have to contain Carter Graser as he made an impact in Newark/Marion's last game. He rushed for 110 yards and one score on only 13 carries, and also threw for 150 yards and three TDs on only 11 passes. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 68 yards. Another player making a difference was Jykell Rodriguez, who picked up 86 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
This is the second loss in a row for Newark/Marion and nudges their season record down to 4-2. As for Geneva, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Geneva has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 205.3 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Newark/Marion, though, as they've been averaging only 66.8 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Geneva suffered a grim 28-8 defeat to Newark/Marion in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
