Football Game Preview: Paxton-Buckley-Loda Panthers vs. Monticello Sages

The Paxton-Buckley-Loda Panthers are taking a road trip to face off against the Monticello Sages at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They breezed past Rantoul to the tune of 46-0. That looming 46-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Panthers yet this season.

Meanwhile, Monticello entered their tilt with Prairie Central on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They came within four points of losing the streak, but they secured an 18-14 W against the Hawks.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda better keep an eye on Zeke Young. He was instrumental in Monticello's win, picking up 111 receiving yards and one TD, while also rushing for 56 yards and one touchdown on only six carries. Those 111 receiving yards gave Young a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Nolan Buehnerkemper, who threw for 217 yards and one TD while completing 74.1% of his passes.

The win got Paxton-Buckley-Loda back to even at 4-4. As for Monticello, their victory bumped their record up to 6-2.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda was dealt a bruising 33-0 defeat at the hands of Monticello when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.