The Spring Grove Rockets will venture away from home to face off against the Red Lion Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Spring Grove will be strutting in after a win while Red Lion will be coming in after a loss.
Spring Grove's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Northeastern 55-0. That 55 point margin sets a new team best for the Rockets this season.
Spring Grove's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Brody Redding, who rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. Another player making a difference was Davis Baum, who rushed for 36 yards and one TD.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Spring Grove, adding 11 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Jordan Eisenhart, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Spring Grove didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Zane Lawrence and Kenny Garcia. Garcia got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Red Lion played a tough matchup on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 48-12 defeat at the hands of South Western. While losing is never fun, the Lions can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 301st, while the Mustangs are ranked 150th).
Spring Grove will have to keep a close watch on Julian Cedrone and Mason Platts, a pair of players who had a big impact on Red Lion's prior game. Cedrone picked up 117 receiving yards and a pair of scores, while Platts threw for 321 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Cedrone also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, picking up a sack and making one tackle.
Spring Grove pushed their record up to 4-2 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 44.6 points over those games. As for Red Lion, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 2-4.
Spring Grove barely slipped by Red Lion in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, winning 35-34. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rockets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
