The Massaponax Panthers will challenge the Riverbend Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Massaponax has now lost eight straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since August 30.
Massaponax is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Stafford on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Massaponax came up short against Stafford, falling 66-44. The Panthers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 33-7.
Massaponax might have lost, but man, Joe Sanders Iii was a machine: he rushed for 200 yards and a touchdown while picking up 11.8 yards per carry. Sanders Iii showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 57 yards. Backing up that air attack was Gabriel Newby-Morris, who rushed for 80 yards.
Meanwhile, Riverbend entered their tilt with Brooke Point on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They walked away with a 49-40 victory over the Black Hawks. The Bears' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Riverbend has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 32.8 points per game. As for Massaponax, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.
Massaponax might still be hurting after the 34-14 loss they got from Riverbend when the teams last played back in November of 2023. Thankfully for Massaponax, Tanner Triplett (who threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
