The Morton Panthers will head out to square off against the Mendenhall Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Morton will be strutting in after a win while Mendenhall will be coming in after a defeat.
Morton not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since September 27, 2024 (when they won 52-0). They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Richland 51-7. The Panthers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Avonte Reese
| 10/03/25 vs Richland | 104 |
| 09/12/25 @ Scott Central | 31 |
| 08/29/25 @ Newton County | 15 |
| 09/05/25 vs West Lauderdale | 10 |
| 09/19/25 vs Leake Central | 8 |
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Morton to victory, but perhaps none more so than Domingo Deering, who rushed for 107 yards and one TD on only 12 carries. Deering really tore up the turf during one magnificent 76-yard run. Morton also got help from Avonte Reese, who showed off his sure hands for 104 receiving yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Morton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 351 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Mendenhall duked it out with Forest on Friday. The Tigers took a 37-26 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bearcats. The Tigers were down 37-6 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Morton will have to contain Henry Funchess as he made an impact in Mendenhall's last game. He rushed for 65 yards and one score on only seven carries, and also picked up 43 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Morton is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 27.0 points over those games. As for Mendenhall, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 3-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Morton has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 213.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mendenhall struggles in that department as they've been averaging 176.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Morton couldn't quite finish off Mendenhall when the teams last played back in October of 2024 and fell 32-29. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
