Two dominant backs in Jovan Rodriguez and Marcus Gadlin are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Paetow Panthers will host the Cinco Ranch Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Paetow knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past four games -- so hopefully Cinco Ranch likes a good challenge.
Paetow was handed a heart-breaking two-point loss in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against Morton Ranch on Friday. The Panthers put the hurt on the Mavericks with a sharp 60-37 victory. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 40-15.
Paetow's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Derek Stevenson, who picked up 159 receiving yards and a pair of scores, and also punched in one rushing score. Another passer making a difference was Jaiden Noel, who threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 12.9 yards per attempt.
Paetow was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 270 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 238 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Another reason for the win was Paetow's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for 6.5 sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as six different players picked up one apiece ( Arley Gonzalez also recorded half a sack).
Meanwhile, Cinco Ranch gave up the first points on Thursday, but they didn't give up any more after. They skirted past Jordan 24-21. The victory almost wasn't to be: the Cougars were down 14-0 in the second quarter.
Cinco Ranch's win came from a few key players Paetow will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Davis Roup, who threw for 246 yards and a pair of TDs. His passing game has become a key predictor of Cinco Ranch's success: the team is 2-1 when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise. Maxwell Williams was Roup's top target, picking up 141 receiving yards and one score.
Paetow now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Cinco Ranch, the win got them back to even at 3-3.
Paetow was able to grind out a solid victory over Cinco Ranch in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, winning 41-31. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
