Basketball Game Preview: Palmyra Panthers vs. Johnson County Central Thunderbirds

Palmyra and Johnson County Central are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2019, but not for long. The Palmyra Panthers will head out to square off against the Johnson County Central Thunderbirds at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Palmyra has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Johnson County Central will arrive with four straight victories.

Last Thursday, Palmyra came up short against Elmwood-Murdock and fell 74-65. That's two games in a row now that the Panthers have lost by exactly nine points.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Harrison Boyte, who went 8 of 13 on his way to 20 points. Kobee Martin was another key player, going 5 for 9 en route to 19 points and three blocks.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Johnson County Central). They blew past Fairbury 70-46 on Thursday. With the Thunderbirds ahead 37-17 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.

Johnson County Central pushed their record up to 13-5 with the win, which was their third straight at home. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 26 points. As for Palmyra, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-13.

Palmyra might still be hurting after the 58-35 loss they got from Johnson County Central in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. Can Palmyra avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.