Football Game Preview: Spring Garden Panthers vs. Appalachian Eagles + How To Watch

Spring Garden is a perfect 4-0 against Appalachian since August of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Panthers will head out to take on the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

It was a proper cat-fight when Spring Garden took on Cedar Bluff on Friday. The Panthers breezed past the Tigers to the tune of 42-14. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by 22 points or more this season.

Brady Ruark

Rushing Yards

09/26/25 vs Cedar Bluff	157
09/19/25 vs Valley Head	120
09/05/25 vs Ragland	104
08/29/25 vs Pleasant Valley	61

Brady Ruark had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 157 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 carries. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 110.5 rushing yards per game.

Meanwhile, Appalachian is still undefeated this season after their contest against Section on Friday, but Section came as close as anyone has to beating them. The Eagles came within a single point of losing the streak, but they secured a 34-33 W against the Lions.

Spring Garden better keep an eye on Braden Gilliland. He was instrumental in Appalachian's win, rushing for 200 yards and five scores on only 15 carries. Those five rushing touchdowns gave Gilliland a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Colton Caldwell, who rushed for 82 yards and one TD on only six carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Appalachian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 303 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 303 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.

Spring Garden's record now sits at 4-2. As for Appalachian, their record is now 6-0.

Everything went Spring Garden's way against Appalachian in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as Spring Garden made off with a 46-21 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Gilliland, who rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Panthers still be able to contain Gilliland? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.