Football Game Preview: South Putnam Eagles vs. Pioneer Panthers

The South Putnam Eagles will face off against the Pioneer Panthers at 11:00 a.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as South Putnam comes in on seven and Pioneer on 12.

South Putnam is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They blew past Milan 40-7. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matchups by 20 points or more this season.

Drew Cline

Rushing Yards

11/21/25 @ Milan	55
11/14/25 vs Sheridan	40
11/07/25 @ Riverton Parke	9
10/31/25 @ Fountain Central	16
10/24/25 vs Attica	22
+ 8 more games

It was another big night for Drew Cline, who threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 passes, and also rushed for 55 yards and one TD on only six carries. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in August. Another player making a difference was Ty Benton, who rushed for 120 yards and one score while picking up 7.5 yards per carry.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: South Putnam was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 242 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 213 rushing yards in 18 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

South Putnam didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Blake Witt. Another thorn in Milan's side was Keenan Mowery-shields, who made 27 total tackles (1.0 for loss).

South Adams typically has all the answers at home, but on Friday Pioneer proved too difficult a challenge. They enjoyed a cozy 31-14 win over the Starfires.

South Putnam better keep an eye on Noah Vanmeter. He was instrumental in Pioneer's win, rushing for 185 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 7.4 yards per carry. With that strong performance, Vanmeter is now averaging an impressive 103.5 rushing yards per game.

South Putnam's victory bumped their record up to 12-2. As for Pioneer, their win bumped their record up to 13-1.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. South Putnam has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 317.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pioneer struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 301.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.