The Maplewood Tigers will take on the Cambridge Springs Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last five times Maplewood and Saegertown have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Friday. The Tigers received a blow as they fell 26-8 to the Panthers. Despite 67 more yards than the Panthers, the Tigers couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Despite the loss, Maplewood saw an underclassman step up: freshman Mason Potosky rushed for 87 yards and one touchdown. Potosky really tore up the turf during one magnificent 80-yard run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Cambridge Springs, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They blew past Cochranton 41-12 on Friday. Considering the Devils have won three matchups by more than 24 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Cambridge Springs had a senior duo take command as Brett Kania rushed for 137 yards and three scores on only 12 carries and Brandon Hoover rushed for 121 yards and a pair of TDs. Hoover is becoming a predictor of the Devils' success: when he posts at least 80 rushing yards the team is 3-1 (and 1-2 when he doesn't).
Cambridge Springs was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 332 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 164 rushing yards in six consecutive contests.
One reason for the win was Cambridge Springs' imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Robert Smith, Latavion Fitzpatrick, and Damian Walker, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Cambridge Springs pushed their record up to 4-3 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 40.9 points this season. As for Maplewood, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Maplewood has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 187.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Cambridge Springs struggles in that department as they've been averaging 276.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Maplewood suffered a grim 44-20 defeat to Cambridge Springs in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Kania, who rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 9.2 yards per carry. Now that the Tigers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
