Football Preview: Magnolia Panthers vs. Lakeside Rams
The Magnolia Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the Lakeside Rams at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Magnolia took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They came out on top against Arkansas by a score of 27-20.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Magnolia to victory, but perhaps none more so than J2 Young, who rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown. Young was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 54 yards. Magnolia also got a significant boost from Ryderius Moore, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 91 yards.
Magnolia's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Kaleb Roach. Magnolia got some further help from Chevis Johnson: he made eight total tackles (3.0 for loss) and defended a pass.
Magnolia was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 236 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 179 rushing yards in six consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Lakeside beat Camden Fairview 43-36 on Friday.
It was another big night for Grady Ohman, who rushed for 213 yards and a touchdown, and also picked up 33 receiving yards and a touchdown. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his seventh straight game with at least 100 rushing yards dating back to last season.
Magnolia's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Lakeside, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 3-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Magnolia has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 218.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Lakeside struggles in that department as they've been averaging 215.5. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Magnolia beat Lakeside 28-21 in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Magnolia since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
