Wheeler's offense rose to the challenge against a Panthers defense that boasted an average of only 9.56 points allowed on Friday. The Wheeler Bearcats put the hurt on the Griffith Panthers with a sharp 35-13 win. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Bearcats also won the last time the pair played back in October of 2023.
It was another big night for Jayden Ortiz, who rushed for 220 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 10.5 yards per carry. His longest rush was for an incredible 81 yards. Another player making a difference was Caleb Klimczak, who threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Wheeler was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 297 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Wheeler's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB four times. Griffith's QB won't forget Mitchell Krolikowski anytime soon given he sacked him twice. Another thorn in Griffith's side was Dylan Knezevich, who picked up a sack and made nine total tackles.
Wheeler's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-2. As for Griffith, their defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 8-1.
Both are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. Wheeler will face off against Boone Grove at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Boone Grove will roll in looking for their fifth straight win, something Wheeler surely won't give up without a fight. As for Griffith, they will play host again on Friday to welcome Hammond Bishop Noll, where kickoff is scheduled at 7:00 p.m. Griffith is facing Hammond Bishop Noll at the right time seeing as Hammond Bishop Noll is stuck on a three-game losing streak.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
