Football Game Preview: Permian Panthers vs. Eastlake Falcons

Permian is a perfect 3-0 against Eastlake since September of 2024 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Panthers will square off against the Falcons at 7:00 p.m. Permian is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last nine games.

Permian gave up the first points on Friday, but they didn't give up any more after. They strolled past Midland with points to spare, taking the game 33-14. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 56th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 361st) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Gavin Black

Rushing Yards

11/07/25 vs Midland	143
10/31/25 @ Frenship	161
10/24/25 @ Midland Legacy	320

Permian's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Gavin Black, who rushed for 143 yards and one touchdown, and Kayden Vickers, who threw for 250 yards and three TDs while completing 78.9% of his passes. Black's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 143 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, it was a Battle of the Birds when Eastlake took on Coronado on Thursday. The Falcons walked away with a 55-44 victory over the Thunderbirds. The win continues a trend for the Falcons in their matchups with the Thunderbirds: they've now won seven in a row.

Eastlake's win came from a few key players Permian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Derick Holguin, who rushed for 98 yards and three scores. Those three rushing touchdowns gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ethan Rivera, who picked up 195 receiving yards and one touchdown.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Eastlake was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 229 rushing yards. They are 5-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.

The victory got Eastlake back to even at 5-5. As for Permian, their record now sits at 9-1.

Permian strolled past Eastlake in their previous matchup back in September by a score of 27-12. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Falcons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.