Football Preview: Cheltenham Panthers vs. Souderton Indians
The Cheltenham Panthers will host the Souderton Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Having struggled with five defeats in a row dating back to last season, Cheltenham finally turned things around against Bensalem on Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 31-14 win over the Fighting Owls. The Panthers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Jared Higginbotham was a one-man wrecking crew for Cheltenham as he rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. Higginbotham's longest rush was for an impressive 65 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. The team also got some help courtesy of Kendall Jackson, who threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Cheltenham's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged five passes before it was all said and done. Sean Alston and Logan Brown were the leaders of the group effort as each produced two apiece. Alston is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in the last six games he's played dating back to last season. Another thorn in Bensalem's side was Arthur "Aj" Gordon, who picked up a sack, forced a fumble, and forced a fumble.
Meanwhile, Souderton might've scored the first points on Friday, but it was Quakertown who claimed the real prize. Souderton and Quakertown were almost perfectly matched up, but Souderton suffered a 35-34 loss. Despite 52 more yards than the Panthers, the Indians couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Despite their defeat, Souderton saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Michael McCormick, who rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns, was perhaps the best of all. Another pass catcher making a difference was Elijah Hampton, who picked up 58 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Even though they lost, Souderton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 222 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
Cheltenham's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Souderton, they now have a losing record at 2-3.
Things could have been worse for Cheltenham, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 42-27 loss to Souderton in their previous matchup back in October of 2021. Thankfully for Cheltenham, Jared Zimmerman (who rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and also threw for 80 yards and two touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
