Two dominant backs in Truman Shelton and Carson James are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Paschal Panthers will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Arlington Heights Yellowjackets at 7:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Paschal took their contest with ease, bagging a 61-21 win over Trimble Tech. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Hudson Avery
| 10/31/25 @ Trimble Tech | 124 |
| 10/03/25 @ Chisholm Trail | 79 |
| 09/04/25 @ Nimitz | 48 |
| 10/10/25 vs Polytechnic | 38 |
| 10/16/25 vs Saginaw | 37 |
Paschal's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Hudson Avery led the charge by picking up 124 receiving yards and one score. Those 124 receiving yards gave Avery a new career-high. Carlos Estrada was another key passer, throwing for 117 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes.
Paschal's run defense was locked in: Trimble Tech could only muster 2.9 yards per carry. The team can thank Sam Williams for the heroic effort on defense: he. Paschal didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 5.8.
Meanwhile, Arlington Heights got themselves on the board against Trimble Tech last Saturday, but Trimble Tech never followed suit. They blew past the Bulldogs 65-0. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Yellowjackets' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 207th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 940th).
Arlington Heights' defense made their presence known, laying out the QB seven times. The heavy lifting was done by Caynan James and Carter James, who racked up four sacks between them. Arlington Heights got some further help from Kelle Johnson: he made 16 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Arlington Heights, racking up 13 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Ce'Antae Johnson, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Paschal's win bumped their record up to 6-3. As for Arlington Heights, their victory bumped their record up to 8-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Paschal has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 187.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Arlington Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging 297.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Paschal came up short against Arlington Heights when the teams last played back in November of 2024, falling 28-23. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Yellowjackets' James, who rushed for 155 yards and one TD while picking up 7.4 yards per carry. Now that the Panthers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
