The Eastbrook Panthers will face off against the Oak Hill Golden Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Eastbrook knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past seven matchups -- so hopefully Oak Hill likes a good challenge.
Eastbrook's offense will try to repeat the strong performance it gave on Friday, when they got past Mississinewa's usually-dominant defense. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 35-14 margin over the Indians. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by 21 points or more this season.
Bodie Howell was his usual excellent self, rushing for 198 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.6 yards per carry. That's the most rushing touchdowns he has posted since back in September of 2024.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Eastbrook was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 351 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 256 rushing yards in seven consecutive games.
Another reason for the win was Eastbrook's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Mason Shell with two. Matthew Slater got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Oak Hill got themselves on the board against Elwood on Friday, but Elwood never followed suit. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Panthers 42-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Golden Eagles.
Oak Hill's win came from a few key players Eastbrook will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jesse Zwirn, who rushed for 130 yards and a pair of TDs on only eight carries. He got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 69 yards. Dylan Archer was another key player, rushing for 100 yards and two scores on only 11 carries.
Eastbrook's victory bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Oak Hill, their win bumped their record up to 5-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Eastbrook has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 314.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Oak Hill struggles in that department as they've been averaging 201.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Eastbrook came up short against Oak Hill in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 20-14. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
