Two dominant backs in Taji Atkins and Caden Durham are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Westfield Mustangs will take on the Duncanville Panthers and Pantherettes at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Westfield walked away with it. They claimed a resounding 77-48 win over the Yellowjackets at home. Winning may never get old, but Westfield sure are getting used to it with their tenth in a row.
Westfield relied on the efforts of Atkins, who rushed for 202 yards and three touchdowns on only ten carries, and Miles Dent, who rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. Dent was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 51 yards. Austin Abram was in the mix too, providing Westfield with two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Duncanville has more to be thankful for after their matchup against The Woodlands on Saturday. Duncanville took their match on the road with ease, bagging a 49-21 win over The Woodlands. Given Duncanville's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked second, while The Woodlands is ranked 39th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Durham was his usual excellent self, rushing for 323 yards and a touchdown while picking up 11.5 yards per carry. Durham is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last five games he's played. Keelon Russell was another key contributor, rushing for 52 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries.
Westfield pushed their record up to 11-2 with that victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.8 points per game. As for Duncanville, the victory (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 11-1.
Westfield came up short against Duncanville in their previous meeting back in December of 2022, falling 28-21. Can Westfield avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
