The Great Bend Panthers will face off against the Liberal Redskins at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Great Bend will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Last Friday, Great Bend didn't have too much trouble with Dodge City on the road as they won 28-14.
Great Bend's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Daxton Minton, who threw for 180 yards and two touchdowns while completing 83.3% of his passes, and also rushed for 86 yards on only nine carries. A healthy portion of that aerial production (88 yards to be exact) went to Cooper Ohnmacht, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Great Bend was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 244 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Dodge City only rushed for 105.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Great Bend's defense and their four sacks. In that department, Aidan Davidson was the leader with three. Those three sacks set a new season-high mark for him. Another thorn in Dodge City's side was Trenton Kern, who picked up a sack and made 12 total tackles.
Meanwhile, Liberal hadn't done well against Garden City recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Liberal enjoyed a cozy 23-6 win over Garden City.
Xavier Porras was his usual excellent self, rushing for 208 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.6 yards per carry. His longest rush was for an incredible 96 yards.
Great Bend's record is now 5-0. As for Liberal, their record is now 4-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Great Bend has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 167.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Liberal struggles in that department as they've been averaging 262.2. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Great Bend came up short against Liberal in their previous meeting back in October of 2023, falling 21-14. Can Great Bend 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
