Football Game Preview: Centralia Panthers vs. Versailles Tigers

The Centralia Panthers will face off against the Versailles Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Centralia has five straight wins, Versailles has 16 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Centralia took a 29-point defeat the last time they faced off against Kirksville, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Panthers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 20-17 victory over the Tigers on Friday. Those 20 points were actually the fewest the Panthers have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.

Rex Bryson

Rushing Yards

10/17/25 @ Palmyra	201
09/19/25 @ Monroe City	104
10/24/25 @ Kirksville	86
10/10/25 vs South Shelby	82
09/26/25 vs Macon	61

Centralia's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Chase Kempker, who rushed for 85 yards and one touchdown on only five carries. Kempker's longest rush was for an impressive 64 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Rex Bryson helped out on the ground, rushing for 86 yards and a rushing touchdown.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Centralia was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 278 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 189 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.

Meanwhile, Versailles fell victim to Sherwood and their airtight defense on Friday. They were dealt a 54-0 loss at the hands of the Marksmen.

Versailles' defeat dropped their record down to 0-9. As for Centralia, their win bumped their record up to 8-1.