The Jay Royals will head out on the road to take on the Paxton Bobcats at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Jay is headed out in good spirits considering the team just ended their winless streak on the road against Graceville on Monday. The Royals skirted past the Tigers 51-48. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Royals have posted since December 3, 2024.
Tanner Mandell
| 01/05/26 @ Graceville | 25 |
| 01/02/26 vs L.E.A.D. Academy | 38 |
| 12/19/25 vs Headland | 24 |
| 12/18/25 vs Northside Methodist Academy | 27 |
| 12/16/25 vs Rehobeth | 32 |
| + 5 more games |
Tanner Mandell had another great game (as he tends to do), going 9-for-16 en route to 25 points along with eight rebounds and five assists. The contest was his tenth in a row with at least 17 points. Another player making a difference was Bryson Morris, who posted 14 points and three steals.
Meanwhile, Paxton entered their tilt with Poplar Springs on Tuesday with five consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with six. They came within five points of losing the streak, but they secured a 58-53 W against the Atomics. Given the Bobcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 209th, while the Atomics are ranked 474th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Paxton's win came from a few key players that Jay will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Wade Borgesen, who dropped a double-double with 15 points and ten boards. He is also on a roll when it comes to three-point shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 40% in the last three games he's played. Case Moore was another key player, shooting 50% from the field on his way to 14 points and three steals.
The victory was their first on the road, bumping their record up to 4-6. As for Paxton, their record now sits at 13-2.
Jay couldn't quite get it done against Paxton in their previous matchup back in December of 2025 as they fell 56-48. Can the Royals avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
