The Catholic Rockets will head out on the road to square off against the Benton Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Catholic has given up an average of 34.6 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
On Friday, Catholic lost to Sheridan at home by a 51-36 margin. The Rockets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Phillips Blair
| 10/17/25 vs Sheridan | 194 |
| 08/29/25 vs Arkansas | 162 |
| 10/03/25 vs West Memphis | 102 |
| 10/10/25 @ Jonesboro | 74 |
| 09/26/25 @ El Dorado | 55 |
| + 1 more games |
Despite the loss, Catholic got top-tier performance from Phillips Blair, who rushed for 194 yards and a pair of TDs, and also threw for 74 yards and three touchdowns. Blair is becoming a predictor of the Rockets' success: when he posts at least 80 rushing yards the team is 2-1 (and 0-4 when he doesn't).
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Benton faced off against El Dorado on Friday. The Panthers blew past the Wildcats 60-36. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won three contests by 24 points or more so far this season.
Benton's win came from a few key players Catholic will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Drew Davis, who rushed for 77 yards and three scores on only ten carries, and also threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 12.9 yards per attempt. What's more, he racked up 117.1 passer rating, the most he's had since back in November of 2024. Will Carter was Davis' top target, picking up 148 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.
Benton didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited El Dorado to a completion percentage of just 50%. The Panthers weren't nearly as limited: they posted one of 65.4%.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Benton, racking up 16 points in total. All those points came courtesy of Gabe Wilbur: he added nine points with three field goals and another seven kicking extra points.
Benton's victory was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-2. Those road wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.5 points over those games. As for Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-5.
Catholic took a serious blow against Benton when the teams last played back in October of 2024, falling 42-0. Can the Rockets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
