Preview: Kaufman Lions vs. Mabank Panthers
Kaufman is 5-0 against Mabank since October of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Kaufman Lions will head out on the road to face off against the Mabank Panthers at 7:30 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
Last Friday, Kaufman had to suffer through a rough 48-20 loss at the hands of Anna. While losing is never fun, Kaufman can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 523rd, while Anna is ranked 84th).
Kaufman's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Aljour Miles ii, who picked up 239 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and Ty Burleson who threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Mabank's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. They took a hard 28-10 fall against Sulphur Springs.
Kaufman's loss was their fourth straight at home, which dropped their overall record down to 1-6. Admittedly, the team was facing some tough opposition over that stretch, including 5-2 Athens and 5-2 Terrell (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 71.4% over those games). Mabank has been struggling this season, as they've lost six of their first seven matchups, which leaves them at a 1-6 record this season.
Everything went Kaufman's way against Mabank when the teams last played back in October of 2022 as Kaufman made off with a 31-7 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Kaufman since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
