Football Game Preview: Melrose Golden Wildcats vs. Maplewood Panthers + Official Tickets

The Melrose Golden Wildcats will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Maplewood Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Melrose knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past seven contests -- so hopefully Maplewood likes a good challenge.

Melrose is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They really took it to Bolivar Central for the full four quarters, racking up a 40-7 win. With the Golden Wildcats ahead 22-0 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.

Thomas Heffner

Passing Touchdowns

11/07/25 vs Bolivar Central	3
10/31/25 vs Memphis East	6
10/24/25 vs Raleigh-Egypt	4
10/02/25 @ Douglass	3
09/26/25 vs Hamilton	4

Melrose can attribute much of their success to Thomas Heffner, who threw for 113 yards and three touchdowns while completing 81.8% of his passes, and Lamarius Cooper, who rushed for 123 yards and one score on only 13 carries. Heffner is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in each of the last five games he's played.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Melrose was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 323 rushing yards. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 84.4 rushing yards per game earlier this season, but in their last five games they've averaged 166.3.

On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Melrose's defense and their four sacks. Jovani Brown refused to say out of the backfield, picking up two sacks all by himself. Another thorn in Bolivar Central's side was Brown, who picked up two sacks and made six total tackles.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Maplewood duked it out with Waverly Central on Friday. The Panthers strolled past the Tigers with points to spare, taking the game 24-6. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Panthers.

Melrose better keep an eye on Jayon Washington. He was instrumental in Maplewood's win, throwing for 258 yards and a pair of TDs. Those 258 passing yards gave Washington a new career-high.

Melrose's record now sits at 9-1. As for Maplewood, their record is now 4-6.