Football Preview: Downey Knights vs. Modesto Panthers
Downey has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will venture away from home to face off against the Modesto Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Downey's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
Downey is headed into the match having just posted their biggest victory since October 6, 2023 on Friday. They breezed by Pitman at home to the tune of 56-3. Given the Knights' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 92nd, while the Pride are ranked 764th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Carson Lamb, who threw for 226 yards and four touchdowns. He is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in the last five games he's played dating back to last season. Ethan Woodmansee also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Downey didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Daley Holmes and Woodmansee. Noah Sacuskie was another major factor on D, picking up 1.5 sacks and making nine total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Modesto never got on the board in their matchup last Friday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Enochs last Friday. They walked away with a 42-29 win over the Eagles.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Modesto was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 323 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in August of 2023.
Downey pushed their record up to 6-0 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Modesto, their win ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-3.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: Downey has been excellent in the air this season, having averaged 301.8 passing yards per game. It's a different story for Modesto, though, as they've been averaging only 87.5. How will they fare against such a dominant passing game?
Everything came up roses for Downey against Modesto when the teams last played back in October of 2023, as the team secured a 59-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Downey since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
