Football Game Preview: Oblong Panthers vs. Metro-East Lutheran Knights

The Oblong Panthers will square off against the Metro-East Lutheran Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 903 yards in their previous games.

Oblong is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Illinois' top teams: Martinsville, who was ranked 19th at the time (Oblong was ranked 11th). The Panthers claimed a resounding 50-14 win over the Bluestreaks. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by 30 points or more this season.

Lucas Blessing

Rushing Yards

10/04/25 @ Pawnee/Lincolnwood	272
10/10/25 vs Hutsonville/Palestine	221
10/17/25 @ Martinsville	208
09/19/25 vs Dugger Union	115
09/12/25 @ Milford/Cissna Park	81
+ 3 more games

Oblong got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Lucas Blessing out in front who rushed for 208 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 9.5 yards per carry. The Panthers are 3-1 when Blessing posts 100 or more rushing yards, but 1-3 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Caden Goodwin, who gained 165 total yards and two touchdowns.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Oblong was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 370 rushing yards. They are 3-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.

Meanwhile, Metro-East Lutheran and Pawnee/Lincolnwood were almost perfectly matched up on Friday, but Metro-East Lutheran suffered a 21-20 loss. The defeat continues a trend for the Knights in their meetings with Pawnee/Lincolnwood: they've now lost eight in a row.

Oblong will have to contain Abe Oberhauser as he made an impact in Metro-East Lutheran's last game. He rushed for 144 yards while picking up 7.6 yards per carry, and also threw for 66 yards and one touchdown while completing 81.8% of his passes. Oberhauser's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 138 rushing yards. Another rusher making a difference was Lee Watson, who rushed for 112 yards.

Metro-East Lutheran's loss dropped their record down to 6-2. As for Oblong, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-4.

Thursday's game might be decided on the ground. Oblong has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 234.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Metro-East Lutheran struggles in that department as they've been averaging 318.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Oblong couldn't quite finish off Metro-East Lutheran when the teams last played back in September of 2024 and fell 42-40. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.