Football Game Preview: Manteno Panthers vs. Coal City Coalers

Manteno hasn't had much luck against Coal City recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Panthers will be playing at home against the Coalers at 7:00 p.m. Manteno has given up an average of 28.4 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Manteno's offense might be in the hot seat on Friday considering what happened against Wilmington on Friday. They had to suffer through a 49-0 loss at the hands of the Wildcats. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked 244th, while the Wildcats are ranked 52nd).

Meanwhile, Coal City won against Streator last Friday with 49 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. The Coalers blew past Reed-Custer 49-7. The Coalers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by 26 points or more this season.

The win (which was Coal City's third in a row) raised their record to 4-1. The victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 6.7 points on average over those games. As for Manteno, their loss dropped their record down to 3-2.

Manteno was dealt a bruising 49-0 defeat at the hands of Coal City when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Will the Panthers 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.