Football Game Preview: Purchase Line Red Dragons vs. River Valley Panthers

The Purchase Line Red Dragons will challenge the River Valley Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Neither Purchase Line nor River Valley posted many points in their last games, so it might be the defenses that decide this one.

Purchase Line is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Homer-Center on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Red Dragons lost 27-7 to the Wildcats. The Red Dragons gained 126 more yards on the day, but it was the Wildcats that made the best use of them.

Purchase Line's loss came about despite a quality game from Victor Bartlebaugh, who rushed for 141 yards and one score.

Meanwhile, River Valley waltzed into their contest on Friday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They had just enough and edged out United Valley co-op [Blacklick Valley/United] 10-7. The score was all tied up 0-0 at the break, but the Panthers were the better team in the second half.

Purchase Line's defeat dropped their record down to 2-4. As for River Valley, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Purchase Line has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 176.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like River Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 256.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Purchase Line was taken down by River Valley 34-6 in their previous meeting back in September of 2024. Will the Red Dragons have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.