Football Game Preview: Hernando Leopards vs. Lecanto Panthers

The Hernando Leopards will square off against the Lecanto Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Hernando 11.2, Lecanto 13.1) so any points scored will be well earned.

Hernando's usually-dominant defense will be looking to make up for Tuesday's struggle, when Wildwood offense got past them. The Leopards took a 38-32 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Wildcats on Tuesday. The Leopards' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

Despite the defeat, Hernando saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Carlie Grant threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns while completing 82.1% of her passes, and also rushed for 43 yards and one score. Grant didn't just play on offense: she also made six total tackles and defended one pass. Annabelle Chamberlain was another key player, picking up 17 receiving yards and one TD.

Hernando didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Aajyrah Adams and Ayana Kincade.

Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Lecanto had no problem doing just that on Monday. They came out on top against the Hurricanes by a score of 20-13.

Lecanto has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-8 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 6.6 points on average over those games. As for Hernando, their loss dropped their record down to 10-3.

Hernando strolled past Lecanto in their previous meeting back in February by a score of 20-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Leopards since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.