Football Preview: Monticello Panthers vs. O'Neill Raiders
The Monticello Panthers will head out on the road to take on the O'Neill Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Monticello is no doubt hoping to put an end to a five-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Having struggled with nine losses in a row dating back to last season, Monticello finally turned things around against Liberty on Saturday. They took their match at home with ease, bagging a 54-16 victory over the Indians. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Panthers considering their two-point performance the contest before.
Quenten Liciaga was nothing short of spectacular: he picked up 53 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 48 yards and a touchdown. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up a sack and making three total tackles in addition to snagging two interceptions. Orrin Hutchinson was in the mix too, providing Monticello with a touchdown.
Monticello's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Liciaga and Nick Soeman. That's the most rushing yards Liciaga has posted since back in October of 2023. Another thorn in Liberty's side was Cristopher Collado, who picked up two sacks, forced a fumble, and forced a fumble.
Meanwhile, O'Neill came up short against Spackenkill on Friday and fell 20-13. The Raiders have struggled against the Spartans recently, as their game on Friday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Monticello's win ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 1-2. As for O'Neill, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-2.
Monticello was dealt a bruising 35-6 loss at the hands of O'Neill when the teams last played back in April of 2021. Thankfully for Monticello, Kyle West (who threw for 307 yards and five touchdowns while completing 88.9% of his passes) 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.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
