Football Preview: Bloomington South Panthers vs. Southport Cardinals
The Bloomington South Panthers will head out to square off against the Southport Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Bloomington South will be strutting in after a victory while Southport will be coming in after a loss.
Bloomington South took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They skirted past Terre Haute South Vigo 36-34.
It was another big night for Braylen Townsend, who rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns. Bloomington South also got help from Connor Parker, who showed off his sure hands for 110 receiving yards.
Bloomington South wouldn't let Terre Haute South Vigo keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Bloomington South can thank Quincy Brahaum and Ben Godar for forcing both of them. Godar also set a new season high mark in total tackles with 13.
Meanwhile, Southport was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their sixth straight defeat dating back to last season. They took a 44-34 hit to the loss column at the hands of Heritage Christian. One positive for the Cardinals, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.
Southport might have lost, but man, Riley Matlock was a machine: he rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Southport was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 228 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
Southport's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Ricky Sanders, Jeremiah Stanovic, and Stanovic picked up one apiece. What's more, Stanovic also racked up 41 rushing yards, the mosthe's had since back in October of 2023. Another thorn in Heritage Christian's side was Malachi Kennnedy, who made eight total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended five passes.
Bloomington South pushed their record up to 3-2 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Southport, their loss dropped their record down to 0-5.
Everything came up roses for Bloomington South against Southport when the teams last played back in September of 2023 as the team secured a 59-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Bloomington South since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
