Football Game Preview: Bells Panthers vs. Howe Bulldogs

The Bells Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the Howe Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Bells came into this matchup off a tough 43-point loss last Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Callisburg by a score of 15-12 on Friday. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Despite the defeat, Bells had strong showings from Jaxon Brown, who rushed for 65 yards and two scores, and Easton Branam, who gained 142 total yards. Branam was no stranger to the big play, cutting upfield on a catch that went for 54 yards.

Meanwhile, it's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 56-26, which was the final score in Howe's tilt against Leonard on Friday. The Bulldogs have struggled against the Tigers recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Bells will have to contain Riken Cross as he made an impact in Howe's last game. He picked up 128 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 59 yards on only seven carries. That receiving touchdown marked the first that Cross has hauled in this season.

Howe didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Deacon Bender.

Howe's loss dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Bells, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.

Everything came up roses for Bells against Howe in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 44-6 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.