The Corona Panthers will head out to take on the King Wolves at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Corona has given up an average of 33.5 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Corona is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Great Oak just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Thursday. They had to suffer through a 49-14 loss at the hands of the Wolfpack. The Panthers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 30-7.
Although Corona took the loss, they still got scores from Nico Mejia and Angel Heredia.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for King, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in September. They took down Santiago 44-28 on Friday. The victory continues a trend for the Wolves in their matchups with the Sharks: they've now won three in a row.
King's win came from a few key players Corona will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ben* Major, who rushed for 346 yards and three scores while picking up 9.4 yards per carry. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 105.3 rushing yards per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Colton* Zeen, who rushed for 126 yards and a pair of TDs.
King was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 477 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
One reason for the win was King's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Aaron* Richardson was especially locked on to Santiago's QB and sacked him twice.
King's record now sits at 4-2. As for Corona, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 4-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Corona has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 167.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like King struggles in that department as they've been averaging 215.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Corona was dealt a bruising 45-10 loss at the hands of King when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Panthers, Noah Cuenca (who threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
