Hancock is 0-2 against Paden City since October of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Hancock Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the Paden City Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. Hancock is hoping to put an end to a seven-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Hancock ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They snuck past Hundred with a 28-22 win. The victory was all the more spectacular given Hancock's disadvantage in MaxPreps's football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 223rd in Maryland, while Hundred is ranked 109th in West Virginia).
Meanwhile, Paden City had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 39.8 points), and they went ahead and made it five on Thursday. They took down Beallsville 42-28.
Paden City got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Brayden Neff out in front who rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries. Neff's longest rush was for an incredible 80 yards. Joey Baker was another key contributor, rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.2 yards per carry.
Finally capturing their first win of the season, Hancock advanced to 1-5. Paden City has been no stranger to the win column this season, as they've started out with wins in six of their first seven matchups, giving them a 6-1 record.
Hancock took a serious blow against Paden City in their previous meeting back in September of 2021, falling 58-0. Can Hancock avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
