The Pendleton Heights Arabians will square off against the Delta Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Pendleton Heights' defense has only allowed 13.8 points per game this season, so Delta's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Pendleton Heights is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their contest on Friday with ease, bagging a 56-13 victory over Mt. Vernon. Surprisingly, this marked the Arabians' fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Pendleton Heights' success was spearheaded by the efforts of Brandt Gray, who rushed for 64 yards and two touchdowns, and Joel Weaver, who rushed for 48 yards and three TDs.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Pendleton Heights proved: they limited Mt. Vernon to a paltry 3.1 yards per carry. The team can thank Ayden Forsha for the heroic effort on defense: he. Pendleton Heights didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 5.8.
Pendleton Heights didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Talan Foster.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Delta and New Castle, and Delta kept the tradition alive. The Eagles came out on top against the Trojans by a score of 27-20 on Friday.
Pendleton Heights better keep an eye on Aven Thomas. He was instrumental in Delta's win, rushing for 178 yards and four scores while picking up 10.5 yards per carry. Those 178 rushing yards gave Thomas a new career-high.
The win got Delta back to even at 3-3. As for Pendleton Heights, their victory bumped their record up to 5-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Pendleton Heights has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 163.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Delta struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 159 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Pendleton Heights and Delta were almost perfectly matched up when the teams last played back in October of 2024, but Pendleton Heights suffered an agonizing 27-26 loss. Thankfully for the Arabians, Bronson Edwards (who rushed for 60 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also threw for 140 yards and one TD) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
