Palatka hasn't had much luck against Newberry recently, but that could start to change on Friday. Palatka will venture away from home to take on Newberry at 7:30 p.m.
Last Friday, Palatka and Nature Coast Tech were almost perfectly matched up, but Palatka suffered a 21-20 loss.
Meanwhile, after only three points in their last game, Newberry made sure to put some points up on the board against Keystone Heights two weeks ago. The Panthers really took it to the Indians for the full four quarters, racking up a 51-7 victory. Considering the Panthers' offense had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Newberry's win came from a few key players Palatka will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kaleb Woods, who rushed for 64 yards and a pair of TDs on only five carries, and also picked up 69 receiving yards and one score.all of that, receiving production came thanks to one massive catch Kobe Johnson was another key player, throwing for 169 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 85.7% of his passes.
Newberry's run defense was locked in: Keystone Heights could only muster 3.2 yards per carry. While seven picked up at least two total tackles, Hernando Garvin stood above the rest. He made two total tackles and defended one pass in addition to snagging two interceptions. Newberry didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 11.1.
Newberry didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Garvin. He is also on a roll when it comes to defended passes, as he's now defended at least one in each of the last three games he's played.
Newberry's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for Palatka, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.
Palatka ended up a good deal behind Newberry when the teams last played back in November of 2024, losing 24-7. Can Palatka avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
