Pelham hasn't had much luck against Spain Park recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Panthers will take on the Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Pelham's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed last Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Chilton County 35-0. The victory continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won seven in a row.
Pelham got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Dylan Smith out in front who threw for 165 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 passes. Marcus Arnold was Smith's top target, picking up 98 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Pelham didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Hollis Davis and Michael Trey Hall.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Spain Park, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They put the hurt on James Clemens with a sharp 28-7 victory on Friday. Considering the Jaguars have won three games by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Spain Park's win came from a few key players Pelham will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brock Bradley, who threw for 261 yards and two TDs on only 19 passes. 85 of Bradley's passing yards were hauled in by Kena Rego, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Spain Park's defense made their presence known, laying out Matthew Evers three times. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Ej Kerley Jr and Nathan Byrd, who each picked up 0.5 sacks apiece. Spain Park got some further help from Joe Cross: he made nine total tackles and snagged two interceptions.
Pelham now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Spain Park, they now also have a winning record of 3-2.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Smith and Bradley. Smith just won't slow down this season and has thrown 12 touchdowns while averaging 196 passing yards per game. Bradley has been a dominant force too and has thrown 11 touchdowns while averaging 260 passing yards per game.
Pelham took a serious blow against Spain Park in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 42-7. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
