Manila is 0-5 against Newport since November of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The Lions will square off against the Greyhounds at 7:00 p.m. Manila has given up an average of 37 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Manila and Harrisburg meet (five straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Lions lost 34-8 to the Hornets.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Newport, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. Everything went their way against Osceola on Friday as they made off with a 34-10 victory. Considering the Greyhounds have won three games by more than 23 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Newport's win came from a few key players Manila will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Trevion Greer, who rushed for 216 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 122 rushing yards. Luke Reynolds was in the mix too, providing Newport with two scores.
Newport was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 351 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 284 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.
Newport didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Jaden Robinson, Luke Sampson, Trae Henderson, and Zayshawn Greer picked up one apiece. Newport got some further help from Jesyn Russell: he picked up 0.5 sacks, made seven total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defended two passes.
Newport pushed their record up to 4-2 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 14.2 points on average over those games. As for Manila, their loss dropped their record down to 0-6.
Manila was dealt a bruising 58-8 defeat at the hands of Newport when the teams last played back in October of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Lions were down 44-0.
