The Pickerington North Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the Lincoln Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Pickerington North comes in on eight and Lincoln on five.
Pickerington North gave up the first points on Friday, but they didn't give up any more after. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat New Albany 35-7. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won five contests by 24 points or more so far this season.
Pickerington North can attribute much of their success to Tyice Warren, who rushed for 59 yards and one touchdown on only five carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Pickerington North was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 299 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 154 rushing yards in seven consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Lincoln). They were the clear victors by a 44-20 margin over Grove City on Friday. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Lions had established a 23-point advantage.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Leon Cummings and Trey Wilson. Cummings rushed for 146 yards and one TD on only 13 carries while Wilson rushed for 126 yards and one score on only eight carries. Wilson got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 73 yards. Grey Kegley was another key player, throwing for 142 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Pickerington North's record now sits at 8-1. As for Lincoln, their record is now 7-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Pickerington North has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 170.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Lincoln struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 205.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Pickerington North came up short against Lincoln in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 17-6. 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
