The Linden-McKinley Panthers will venture away from home to take on the East Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Linden-McKinley's defense has only allowed 7.1 points per game this season, so East's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Linden-McKinley fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against Northland on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell 20-14 to the Vikings. The loss was the Panthers' first of the season.
Despite the defeat, Linden-McKinley had strong showings from Davell Brock, who rushed for 138 yards and one touchdown, and Chris Caldwell, who rushed for 97 yards and one TD.
Meanwhile, East had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 34 points) and they went ahead and made it seven on Thursday. They breezed past the Golden Panthers to the tune of 43-16. With the Tigers ahead 26-0 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Linden-McKinley better keep an eye on Dominique Edwards. He was instrumental in East's win, rushing for 110 yards and a pair of scores on only seven carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Ta'John Royster, who gained 98 total yards and a touchdown.
Having lost for the first time this season, Linden-McKinley fell to 8-1. As for East, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 8-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Linden-McKinley has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 209.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like East struggles in that department as they've been averaging 182.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Linden-McKinley was able to grind out a solid win over East when the teams last played back in October of 2024, winning 28-20. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
