Recap: Eustis Panthers vs. Merritt Island Mustangs
The Eustis Panthers had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 27.4 points), and they went ahead and made it six on Friday. They secured a 32-28 W over Merritt Island. This was payback for Eustis, who suffered a 46-35 loss the last time these two teams met.
Eustis got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Lashawn Williams out in front who gained 114 total yards and four touchdowns. The team also got some help courtesy of Troy Saladin, who threw for 92 yards and three touchdowns.
Merritt Island's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performance. Perhaps the best among them was Ryder Varis, who picked up 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Shaun Hartman jr, who threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes.
Eustis' win was their sixth straight on the road , which pushed their record up to 7-3. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 40.7 points per game. As for Merritt Island, their loss dropped their record down to 6-4.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Eustis is on the road again on Friday and play against Cocoa at 7:00 p.m. on November 10th. Cocoa presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Eustis in Florida (Cocoa is ranked fourth, while Eustis is ranked 166th). As for Merritt Island, they will head out on the road to face off against Eau Gallie at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Eau Gallie is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.
