Preview: Derby Panthers vs. Gardner-Edgerton Trailblazers
The Derby Panthers will be staying on the road on Saturday to face off against the Gardner-Edgerton Trailblazers at 1:00 p.m. on November 25th. The two teams have allowed few points on average, (Derby: 15.1, Gardner-Edgerton: 7.9) so any points scored will be well earned.
Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Derby walked away with it. They slipped by the Blues 29-28 on Friday.
Derby's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Braxton Clark led the charge by throwing for 322 yards and four touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Colton Ruedy, who picked up 166 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Derby's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB five times. Mason Hopper was especially locked on to Washburn Rural's QB and sacked him twice.
Meanwhile, Gardner-Edgerton put the finishing touches on their tenth blowout victory of the season on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Blue Valley 35-3 on the road. The victory was nothing new for Gardner-Edgerton as they're now sitting on five straight.
Their wins bumped Derby to 11-1 and Washburn Rural to 11-1.
Derby took their victory against Gardner-Edgerton in their previous meeting back in November of 2020 by a conclusive 48-28. The rematch might be a little tougher for Derby since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
