Football Game Preview: Midlothian Panthers vs. Red Oak Hawks + How To Watch

Two dominant signal callers in Beau Wendel and Billy Middleton are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Midlothian Panthers will welcome the Red Oak Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.

It was a proper cat-fight when Midlothian took on Tyler on Friday. The Panthers secured a 49-43 W over the Lions. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Panthers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 101st, while the Lions are ranked 326th).

Michael Archie

Rushing Touchdowns (Career)

10/24/25 @ Tyler	4
11/01/24 @ Red Oak	2
10/25/24 vs Tyler	2
10/11/24 @ Centennial	2
09/20/24 vs Harker Heights	2

Midlothian's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Michael Archie, who rushed for 109 yards and four scores. Those four rushing touchdowns gave Archie a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Justice Roberts, who rushed for 69 yards and one TD.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Midlothian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 318 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 158 rushing yards in 20 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Red Oak earned a 35-24 win over Centennial on Thursday.

Red Oak's win came from a few key players Midlothian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brayden Robinson, who picked up 124 receiving yards and one touchdown. He got the majority of those receiving yards when he pulled down a pass and took off for a gain of 74 yards. Christian Totten was another key pass catcher, picking up 34 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

Midlothian's victory bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Red Oak, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Midlothian has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 266.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Red Oak struggles in that department as they've been averaging 170 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Midlothian didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Red Oak in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, but they still walked away with a 45-41 victory. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Hawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.