Football Recap: Centralia's Rushing Dominance Continues

Panthers

Lowest Scoring Games

10/24/25 @ Kirksville	20-17
08/29/25 vs Mexico	26-14
09/19/25 @ Monroe City	34-38

Centralia took a 29-point loss the last time they faced off against Kirksville, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Panthers came out on top in a nail-biter against the Tigers on Friday, sneaking past 20-17. Those 20 points were actually the fewest the Panthers have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.

Centralia's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Chase Kempker, who rushed for 85 yards and one score on only five carries. Kempker got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 64 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Rex Bryson, who rushed for 86 yards and one touchdown on only ten carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Centralia was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 278 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 189 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.

Centralia pushed their record up to 8-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 12.3 points on average over those games. As for Kirksville, they now have a losing record of 4-5.

Centralia and Kirksville are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. The Panthers will square off against Versailles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Centralia will be up against the Tigers' rather soft defense (which has allowed 54.89 points per contest), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Kirksville, they will head out on the road to face off against Mexico at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The Tigers' defense better be ready for this one: the Bulldogs have averaged an impressive 30.5 points per game this season.