The Milton Panthers will square off against the West Florida Jaguars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Milton took a loss when they played away from home back in September, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They blew past Gulf Breeze 42-0. The game marked the Panthers' most dominant win of the season.
Antonio Middleton went supernova, rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Milton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 201 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 201 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.
Another reason for the win was Milton's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece. Lorenzo Davis Jr got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, West Florida fought the good fight in their overtime contest against Bay on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They were just a hair shy of victory and fell 38-37 to the Tornadoes. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game last Friday (35), the Jaguars still had to take the loss.
Milton will have to contain Xavier Finley as he made an impact in West Florida's last game. He rushed for 136 yards and three scores.
Milton pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 11.5 points on average over those games. As for West Florida, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-3.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Milton has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 246.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like West Florida struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 206.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Milton couldn't quite finish off West Florida when the teams last played back in October of 2024 and fell 23-20. 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.
