Football Game Preview: Elida Tigers vs. Animas Panthers + Official Tickets

The Elida Tigers will square off against the Animas Panthers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Animas took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Elida, who comes in off a win.

Elida's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed last Saturday. They blew past Dora, posting a 52-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won four games by 40 points or more so far this season.

Cason Norman

Rushing Touchdowns

09/04/25 @ New Mexico School for the Deaf	10
10/03/25 @ Roy/Mosquero	9
08/30/25 vs Immanuel Christian	6
09/12/25 @ Floyd	5
08/22/25 vs Carrizozo	5
+ 2 more games

It was another big night for Cason Norman, who rushed for 80 yards and three TDs on only five carries. He has become a key player for Elida: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 0-3 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Bryce Brandenburg-Salazar, who rushed for 70 yards and one score on only five carries.

Elida didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Hayden Rubio and Brandenburg-Salazar. Elida got some further help from Tj Kennedy: he picked up two sacks, forced one fumble, and made eight total tackles (3.0 for loss).

Animas played against El Paso Leadership Academy East on Friday and lost via forfeit.

The defeat snapped Animas' winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 7-2 record. As for Elida, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-3.

Elida came up short against Animas in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, falling 43-38. Will the Tigers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other football content.