Peoria is 3-0 against Kellis since October of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Peoria Panthers will look to take advantage of their home-field for the first time this season as they take on the Kellis Cougars at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Peoria is coming home in high spirits after they had to open their season on the road against Apache Junction. Peoria strolled past Apache Junction with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 27-13.
Javon Bell had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries. His longest rush was for an impressive 53 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
Peoria's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Angel Vasquez and Marcell Colenberg. Vasquez's also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making four total tackles and defending a pass in addition to snagging two interceptions which he returned one-yard for a touchdown. Lawrence Zarkpah Jr. was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making ten total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Kellis gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Independence 44-0 at home. The Cougars pushed the score to 31-0 by the end of the third, a deficit the Patriots had no chance of recovering from.
Kellis had a senior duo take command as Ronald Coty Iii rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on only six carries and Tristan Bacon gained 182 total yards and two touchdowns. The team also got some help courtesy of David Bedolla, who picked up 45 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Peoria was able to grind out a solid win over Kellis when the teams last played back in September of 2023, winning 33-26. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Coty Iii, who rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Peoria still be able to contain Coty Iii? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
