For the first time this season, Meridian will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will venture away from home to challenge the Milford/Cissna Park Bearcats at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Meridian has given up an average of 42.6 points per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Meridian is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Illinois' top teams: Metro-East Lutheran, who was ranked fourth at the time (Meridian was ranked 17th). The Hawks were beaten by the Knights 60-26 on Saturday. The Hawks were down 48-19 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Despite the loss, Meridian had strong showings from Bryce Brown, who threw for 348 yards and three TDs while picking up 10.9 yards per attempt, and Cam Dean, who picked up 93 receiving yards and one score. Dean showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 53 yards.
Meridian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Maxwell Hubner and Terry OLaughlin. Meridian received some extra help from Trenton Dowdy, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Milford/Cissna Park had to suffer through a 50-16 loss at the hands of Pawnee/Lincolnwood. The Bearcats have struggled against Pawnee/Lincolnwood recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Having lost for the first time this season, Milford/Cissna Park fell to 4-1. As for Meridian, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
