Two dominant backs in Carson James and Truman Shelton are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Arlington Heights Yellowjackets will head out on the road to square off against the Paschal Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Arlington Heights knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past nine matchups -- so hopefully Paschal likes a good challenge.
Arlington Heights is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing Trimble Tech: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Yellowjackets blew the Bulldogs out of the water with a 65-0 final score. The contest was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Yellowjackets had established a 58-point advantage.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Arlington Heights, racking up 13 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Ce'Antae Johnson, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
One reason for the win was Arlington Heights' imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for seven sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Caynan James and Carter James, who racked up four sacks between them. Kelle Johnson was another major factor on D, making 16 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Paschal took their matchup on Friday with ease, bagging a 61-21 victory over Trimble Tech. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won four in a row.
Paschal's win came from a few key players Arlington Heights will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Hudson Avery, who picked up 124 receiving yards and one TD. He showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 61 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Carlos Estrada, who threw for 117 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes.
Paschal's run defense was locked in: Trimble Tech could only muster 2.9 yards per carry. The team can thank Sam Williams for the heroic effort on defense: he. Paschal didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 5.8.
Arlington Heights' record now sits at 8-1. As for Paschal, their record is now 6-3.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Arlington Heights has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 297.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Paschal struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 187.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Arlington Heights didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Paschal in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, but they still walked away with a 28-23 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Panthers' Jashaun Thomas, who rushed for 94 yards and two scores on only ten carries, and also threw for 125 yards on 12 of 17 attempts. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Yellowjackets still be able to contain Thomas? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
