Football Preview: Alma Panthers vs. Freeland Falcons
Alma hasn't had much luck against Freeland recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Alma Panthers will face off against the Freeland Falcons at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Alma took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They snuck past Bridgeport with an 18-14 win. The victory was some much needed relief for the Panthers as it spelled an end to their six-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Freeland put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their game on the road with ease, bagging a 61-6 win over Powers Catholic. Given the Falcons' advantage in MaxPreps' Michigan football rankings (they are ranked 43rd, while the Chargers are ranked 247th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Freeland's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Max Heyn led the charge by rushing for 140 yards and three touchdowns on only five carries. Heyn's longest rush was for an impressive 52 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. The team also got some help courtesy of Brayden Petre, who rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Freeland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 409 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 201 rushing yards in 14 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Alma's victory ended a six-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 1-3. As for Freeland, their record is now 4-0.
Alma was dealt a bruising 55-13 loss at the hands of Freeland in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. Can Alma avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
