Football Preview: Appalachian Eagles vs. Woodville Panthers
The Appalachian Eagles will challenge the Woodville Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Appalachian is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 31.1 points per game this season.
Appalachian 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 were the clear victor by a 35-14 margin over Ragland. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won three contests by 21 points or more so far this season.
It was another big night for Braden Gilliland, who rushed for 366 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 13.1 yards per carry. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 2.1 rushing touchdowns per game.
Appalachian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of JT Hyde and Sean Curtis. Hyde also set a new season high mark in total tackles with 11.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Appalachian was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 433 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 154 rushing yards in nine consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Woodville's offense. They were beaten by Valley Head 53-0 on Friday. The loss continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now lost six in a row.
Appalachian pushed their record up to 6-2 with the win, which was their third straight at home. As for Woodville, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-5.
Appalachian beat Woodville 35-22 when the teams last played back in September of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Appalachian 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
