Vernon will head out to face off against Ponder at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Vernon's defense has only allowed 11 points per game this season, so Ponder's offense will have their work cut out for them.
It was a proper cat-fight when Vernon duked it out with Paradise on Friday. The Lions took a 29-22 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Panthers. The Lions haven't had much luck with the Panthers recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Although Vernon took the loss, they still got scores from Ty Scott, Tyce Payne, and Jamari Chance.
Meanwhile, Ponder strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Boyd 32-29. The game was the first time the Lions have beaten the Yellowjackets on their field since October 14, 2016.
Vernon better keep an eye on Tyson Price. He was instrumental in Ponder's win, rushing for 217 yards and one TD on only ten carries, while also throwing for 281 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 83.3% of his passes. With that strong performance, Price is now averaging an impressive 119.5 rushing yards per game. Kannon Clark also made an appearance on special teams (luckily for Ponder): his a 47-yard strike wound up winning them the game.
Ponder was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 290 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
Ponder's defense made their presence known, laying out Cash Selby three times. In that department, Clark was the leader with two sacks.
Ponder's victory bumped their record up to 4-0. As for Vernon, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 4-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Vernon has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 156.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Ponder struggles in that department as they've been averaging 198.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Vernon skirted past Ponder 38-35 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Vernon since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
