Football Game Preview: Wallkill Panthers vs. Goshen Central Gladiators

Wallkill hasn't had much luck against Goshen Central recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Gladiators at 7:00 p.m. Wallkill's defense has only allowed 14 points per game this season, so Goshen Central's offense will have their work cut out for them.

Wallkill is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Beacon on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Panthers lost 28-7 to the Bulldogs. The Panthers were down 21-0 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.

Despite the loss, Wallkill got top-tier performance from Kent Glasgow, who rushed for 115 yards and one score.

Meanwhile, Goshen Central had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 16 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They walked away with a 35-26 victory over the Wildcats. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Wallkill better keep an eye on Jake Giordano. He was instrumental in Goshen Central's win, rushing for 122 yards and one TD, while also throwing for 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 15 passes. Their leading receiver Kieran Doody was Giordano's top target yet again, picking up 163 receiving yards and one score.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Goshen Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 221 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 221 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.

Wallkill's defeat dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Goshen Central, their win bumped their record up to 3-1.

Wallkill suffered a grim 54-33 defeat to Goshen Central when the teams last played back in November of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Panthers were down 40-13.