Two dominant backs in Sean Vester and Ty Benton are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Riverton Parke Panthers will be playing at home against the South Putnam Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Riverton Parke knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past 11 games -- so hopefully South Putnam likes a good challenge.
Riverton Parke is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 41-6 win over North Central. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Panthers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana football rankings (they are ranked 118th, while the Thunderbirds are ranked 251st).
Derek Collom was his usual excellent self, rushing for 85 yards and one touchdown on only 11 carries.
Riverton Parke's run defense was locked in: North Central could only muster 1.2 yards per carry. The team can thank Jackson While for the heroic effort on defense: he. Riverton Parke didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 6.5.
Meanwhile, South Putnam had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 53.3 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They breezed past the Mustangs to the tune of 45-7. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Eagles just coasted through the last quarter.
South Putnam's win came from a few key players Riverton Parke will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Drew Cline, who threw for 75 yards and a pair of TDs. His passing game has become a key predictor of South Putnam's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise.
Riverton Parke's record now sits at 11-0. As for South Putnam, their record is now 9-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Riverton Parke has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 390.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like South Putnam struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 317.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Riverton Parke was taken down by South Putnam 44-6 in their previous matchup back in November of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Panthers were down 32-0.
