The Newman Grove/St. Edward Panthers just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Madison Dragons at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Newman Grove/St. Edward will be strutting in after a victory while Madison will be coming in after a loss.
Newman Grove/St. Edward took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They blew past Palmer 62-36. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Tigers recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Parker Fitchner
| 12/09/25 @ Guardian Angels Central Catholic | 6 |
| 12/04/25 vs Osceola | 8 |
| 12/05/25 vs Nebraska Christian | 11 |
| 12/12/25 vs Palmer | 13 |
Newman Grove/St. Edward found their leader in sophomore Parker Fitchner, who dropped a double-double with 16 points and 13 boards. Those 13 rebounds set a new season-high mark for Fitchner. Another player making a difference was Ryan Cumming, who posted ten points and seven boards.
Newman Grove/St. Edward was working as a unit and finished the game with 15 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Madison ended up a good deal behind Elkhorn Valley on Tuesday and lost 53-34. The Dragons haven't had much luck with the Falcons recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.
Newman Grove/St. Edward will need to focus on slowing down Izac Zautke, one of several Madison players who made an impact when they last played. He scored 12 points in addition to eight rebounds and four steals. That was a full 35.3% of Madison's points, marking the third time in a row Zautke has put up more than a third of the team's points. Malachi Saldana was another key player, putting up nine points.
Newman Grove/St. Edward's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for Madison, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 2-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Newman Grove/St. Edward has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 39.5 boards per game. However, it's not like Madison struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 39 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Newman Grove/St. Edward came up short against Madison in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, falling 58-53. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
