Football Game Preview: Riverside Rangers vs. Austin Panthers

The Riverside Rangers will square off against the Austin Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Riverside is headed into the contest after thoroughly thrashing Mountain View: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Rangers blew the Lobos out of the water with a 57-3 final score. The victory was nothing new for the Rangers as they're now sitting on five straight.

Carlos Rojas III

Passing Touchdowns (Career)

10/17/25 @ Mountain View	5
10/02/25 @ Bowie	4
10/18/24 vs Mountain View	4
10/11/24 @ San Elizario	4
10/04/24 vs Bowie	4

It was another big night for Carlos Rojas III, who threw for 167 yards and five touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes, and also rushed for 159 yards and one score on only five carries. Those five passing touchdowns gave him a new career-high. Derek Armendariz was another key player, gaining 97 total yards and two touchdowns.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Riverside was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 334 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 183 rushing yards in ten consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Austin got themselves on the board against Irvin on Friday, but Irvin never followed suit. They claimed a resounding 28-0 win over the Rockets. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Rockets recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.

Riverside's win bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Austin, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Riverside has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 299.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Austin struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 363.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Riverside was taken down by Austin 42-0 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Will the Rangers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.