Football Preview: Jefferson Panthers vs. Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson Mustangs
The Jefferson Panthers will face off against the Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Jefferson strolled past Cut Bank with points to spare, taking the game 39-21. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Panthers.
Jefferson's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Luke Oxarart, who rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries, and also picked up 49 receiving yards. That's the most total yards Oxarart has posted since back in September of 2023. Cobe Burnett also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Jefferson's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB five times. Brady Armstrong was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up four sackshimself.
Meanwhile, Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 21-18 win over Red Lodge/Belfry/Roberts on Friday.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson to victory, but perhaps none more so than Stockton Oxarart, who rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries, and also threw for 87 yards and a touchdown. Oxarart didn't just play on offense: he also made six total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended a pass in addition to snagging an interception. Another player making a difference was Blaine Downing, who gained 93 total yards and a touchdown.
Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Trooper Stiles and Oxarart.
Jefferson's record is now 2-0. As for Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson, their record is now 2-0.
Everything came up roses for Jefferson against Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson when the teams last played back in September of 2023 as the squad secured a 48-14 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson's Dawson Hammond, who picked up 180 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Jefferson still be able to contain Hammond? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
