Football Game Preview: Westwood Panthers vs. Central Cobras

The Westwood Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the Central Cobras at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Westwood got their first taste of in-conference action on Friday and they started things off strong. They were the clear victors by a 36-16 margin over South Fork. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by 20 points or more this season.

Gregory Merrick

Total Tackles

10/10/25 vs Heritage	4
09/29/25 @ King's Academy	5
09/05/25 vs Jensen Beach	6
09/12/25 @ Martin County	6
09/26/25 @ Centennial	6

One reason for the win was Westwood's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Gregory Merrick and Christopher Lynch, who racked up all four sacks between them. Merrick also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with 22.

Meanwhile, Central had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 32.7 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Thursday. They skirted past the Eagles 34-32. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Cobras' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 83rd, while the Eagles are ranked 281st).

Central's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: AJ Nathan-Marsh and JJ Blackwood, who each picked up one interception apiece.

Central's win bumped their record up to 8-1. As for Westwood, they now have a winning record of 5-4.

Westwood didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Central when the teams last played back in November of 2024, but they still walked away with a 31-27 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Cobras' AJ Hill, who picked up 37 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 57 yards and one TD. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Panthers still be able to contain Hill? There's only one way to find out.