The Eastside Early College Panthers will head out to challenge the Northeast Early College Raiders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Eastside Early College's defense has only allowed 14.4 points per game this season, so Northeast Early College's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Eastside Early College 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 took their contest with ease, bagging a 72-6 win over Austin Achieve. That looming 72-6 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Panthers yet this season.
Jaylan Cathey had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up a sack, forcing one fumble, and making two total tackles (2.0 for loss) in addition to snagging an interception. Another player making a difference was Aydan Aguilar, who rushed for 45 yards and one TD.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Eastside Early College was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 353 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 187 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Eastside Early College didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Khristo Bryant and Cathey. Another thorn in Austin Achieve's side was Cedric Mitchell, who picked up a sack and made six total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Northeast Early College's offense. They were dealt a 62-0 defeat at the hands of Taylor on Friday. Having soared to a lofty 40 points in the game before, the Raiders' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Eastside Early College has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 42.0 points over those games. As for Northeast Early College, their loss was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-5.
Everything came up roses for Eastside Early College against Northeast Early College in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 42-14 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
