Football Game Preview: Padua Franciscan Bruins vs. Big Walnut Golden Eagles + How To Watch

The Padua Franciscan Bruins will venture away from home to face off against the Big Walnut Golden Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Padua Franciscan is likely headed into the contest with a focus on the second half, which is when things went downhill against Elyria Catholic on Friday. The Bruins fell 21-14 to the Panthers.

Padua Franciscan's loss came about despite a quality game from Chase Weizer, who rushed for 80 yards and one TD on only nine carries. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 60 yards. Jose Caban was in the mix too, providing Padua Franciscan with one score.

Meanwhile, Big Walnut came tearing into Friday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 37 points), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 28-7 margin over the Wildcats. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Golden Eagles' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio football rankings (they are ranked 22nd, while the Wildcats are ranked 92nd).

Big Walnut's win came from a few key players Padua Franciscan will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Eli Stumpf, who rushed for 35 yards and three touchdowns, and also threw for 182 yards and one TD while completing 76.9% of his passes. Another back making a difference was Nolan Buirley, who rushed for 138 yards while picking up 7.3 yards per carry.

Big Walnut's victory bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Padua Franciscan, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.