Football Recap: Tyler Cole Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Prairie Central + How To Watch

Paxton-Buckley-Loda won the last time they faced Prairie Central and things went their way on Friday too. The Panthers came out on top against the Hawks by a score of 24-14. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Panthers.

Mason Vaughan

Rushing Yards

09/12/25 vs Pontiac	125
09/19/25 @ Prairie Central	118
08/29/25 vs Bloomington Central Catholic	107
09/05/25 @ St. Joseph-Ogden	77

Paxton-Buckley-Loda's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tyler Cole, who rushed for 67 yards and one touchdown on only eight carries. Mason Vaughan helped out on the ground, rushing for 118 yards.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Paxton-Buckley-Loda proved: they limited Prairie Central to a paltry 3.4 yards per carry. While three picked up at least four total tackles, Cole stood above the rest. He rushed for 67 yards and one score on only eight carries. Paxton-Buckley-Loda's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 5.4.

Special teams played a big role in the game for Paxton-Buckley-Loda, adding 12 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Kayden Vance, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

The victory got Paxton-Buckley-Loda back to even at 2-2. As for Prairie Central, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 2-2.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Paxton-Buckley-Loda will face off against Tuscola at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Prairie Central, they will challenge Illinois Valley Central at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.