Football Game Preview: Malakoff Tigers vs. Paradise Panthers

A feisty cat fight will be fought when the Malakoff Tigers face off against the Paradise Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday... Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Malakoff comes in on 30 and Paradise on 11.

Malakoff is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 35-0 victory over Liberty-Eylau. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won 11 matchups by 20 points or more so far this season.

Malakoff's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Mike Jones, who rushed for 154 yards and one touchdown while picking up 9.6 yards per carry, and Jason Tennyson, who rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Jones' rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 102 rushing yards.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Malakoff was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 286 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 154 rushing yards in 15 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, after only ten points in their last contest, Paradise made sure to put some points up on the board against Shallowater on Friday. Paradise took down Shallowater 33-15.

Malakoff better keep an eye on Ayden Winters. He was instrumental in Paradise's win, rushing for 178 yards, while also throwing for 142 yards and three touchdowns while completing 83.3% of his passes. Those 178 rushing yards gave Winters a new career-high. Elijah Jennings also helped with two touchdowns in total.

Paradise's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-2. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 41.0 points per game. As for Malakoff, their record now sits at 14-0.

Thursday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Malakoff has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 280.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Paradise struggles in that department as they've been averaging 220.3 rushing yards. It's looking like Thursday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.