Two dominant signal callers in Jashaun Thomas and Kaeden Grant are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Paschal Panthers will head out to square off against the Arlington Heights Yellowjackets at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Paschal's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed last Thursday. They breezed by Trimble Tech to the tune of 49-0. That looming 49-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Panthers yet this season.
Paschal relied on the efforts of Marquez Dean, who gained 160 total yards and three touchdowns, and Thomas, who rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. Dean's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 106 rushing yards.
Paschal was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 276 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Arlington Heights was fully in charge two weeks ago, breezing past Trimble Tech 63-7. Given the Yellowjackets' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 275th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 845th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Arlington Heights relied on the efforts of Carson James, who rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries, and Grant, who threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes. With that strong performance, James is now averaging an impressive 103.9 rushing yards per game. Hank Hayden was another key player, rushing for 61 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries.
Another reason for the win was Arlington Heights' imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Caynan James was especially locked on to Trimble Tech's QB and sacked him twice. James also set a new season high mark in total tackles with 13. Another thorn in Trimble Tech's side was Carter James, who forced a fumble and made eight total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Arlington Heights' win was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-1. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 37.2 points. As for Paschal, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-2.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Paschal has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 223.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Arlington Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging 218.4. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
