Football Preview: Arlington Heights Yellowjackets vs. Paschal Panthers
Two dominant signal callers in Kaeden Grant and Jashaun Thomas are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Arlington Heights Yellowjackets will face off against the Paschal Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Two weeks ago, Arlington Heights blew past Trimble Tech, posting a 63-7 victory. Given the Yellowjackets' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 275th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 845th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Carson James and Grant were among the main playmakers for Arlington Heights as the former rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries and the latter threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes. With that strong performance, James is now averaging an impressive 103.9 rushing yards per game. Hank Hayden also helped with two touchdowns in total.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Arlington Heights' defense and their three sacks. Leading the way was Caynan James with two. He also set a new season high mark in total tackles with 13. Carter James was another major factor on D, forcing a fumble and making eight total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Arlington Heights was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 346 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Paschal got themselves on the board against Trimble Tech last Thursday, but Trimble Tech never followed suit. They blew past the Bulldogs 49-0. That 49 point margin sets a new team best for the Panthers this season.
Paschal's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Marquez Dean, who gained 160 total yards and three touchdowns, and Thomas, who rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. What's more, he's the game marked his third straight with at least 106.
Paschal pushed their record up to 7-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 8.8 points per game. As for Arlington Heights, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Arlington Heights has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 218.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Paschal struggles in that department as they've been averaging 223.5. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
