Football Recap: Columbia Takes a Loss

Despite a strong season so far, Columbia has seen their luck take a bit of a downturn recently. They were beaten by the Jersey Panthers 49-21 on Friday. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as the Eagles came into the matchup with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked 165th, while the Panthers are ranked 345th).

Columbia's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kameron Steele, who picked up 32 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Jackson Lawal got in on the action too, returning a kick for a touchdown.

Even if they lost, Columbia's defensive line still kept up the pressure with five sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Ethan Habermehl and Cooper Foxx, who racked up four sacks between them.

Columbia's loss dropped their record down to 6-3. As for Jersey, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 2-7.

Columbia didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next contest, a 48-15 defeat against Breese Central on the 1st. Jersey does not have any more games scheduled as of now.