Football Preview: Paoli Rams vs. Springs Valley Blackhawks
Paoli is 8-1 against Springs Valley since September of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Paoli Rams will hit the road for the first time this season to take on the Springs Valley Blackhawks at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Friday, Paoli made easy work of Corydon Central and carried off a 49-24 win. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana football rankings (they are ranked 108th, while the Panthers are ranked 251st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Fletcher Cole was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 13.5 yards per carry, and also threw for 22 yards and a touchdown. He didn't just play on offense: he also made five total tackles and defended two passes. Another player making a difference was Tyler Hannon, who rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
Hannon wasn't the only one working in the rushing yards department: Paoli was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 588 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 160 rushing yards in 14 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Springs Valley humbled Mitchell with a 75-12 victory. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Blackhawks just coasted through the last quarter.
Paoli pushed their record up to 2-0 with that victory, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Springs Valley, the win made it two in a row for them and also bumps their season record up to 2-0.
Paoli took their victory against Springs Valley in their previous meeting back in September of 2023 by a conclusive 42-18. In that matchup, Paoli amassed a halftime lead of 28-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
