The Cheltenham Panthers will challenge the Souderton Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Having struggled with five losses in a row dating back to last season, Cheltenham finally turned things around against Bensalem on Friday. They enjoyed a cozy 31-14 win over the Fighting Owls. The Panthers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Jared Higginbotham had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. His longest rush was for an impressive 65 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another player making a difference was Kendall Jackson, who threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Cheltenham's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged five passes before it was all said and done. Sean Alston and Logan Brown were the leaders of the group effort as each produced two apiece. Alston is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in the last six games he's played dating back to last season. Cheltenham got some further help from Arthur "Aj" Gordon: he picked up a sack, forced a fumble, and forced a fumble.
Meanwhile, there was early excitement for Souderton after they claimed the first score on Friday, but it was Quakertown who ended up claiming the real prize. Souderton and Quakertown were almost perfectly matched up, but Souderton suffered a 35-34 defeat. Despite 52 more yards than the Panthers, the Indians couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Michael McCormick, who rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns. Elijah Hampton was another key receiver, picking up 58 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Even though they lost, Souderton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 222 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
Cheltenham's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Souderton, they now have a losing record at 2-3.
Things could have been worse for Cheltenham, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 42-27 loss to Souderton in their previous matchup back in October of 2021. Thankfully for Cheltenham, Jared Zimmerman (who rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and also threw for 80 yards and two touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
