Sale Creek and Copper Basin are an even 5-5 against one another since September of 2015, but not for long. The Panthers will be playing at home against the Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Sale Creek's defense has only allowed 14.2 points per game this season, so Copper Basin's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Sale Creek will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any points last Friday, then bounced right back against Lookout Valley on Friday. The Panthers breezed past the Yellowjackets to the tune of 43-14. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won four contests by 29 points or more so far this season.
Hunter Fowler
| 10/24/25 @ Lookout Valley | 4 |
| 10/03/25 @ Howard Tech | 2 |
| 09/19/25 vs Grace Baptist Academy | 2 |
| 08/22/25 @ Wartburg Central | 2 |
| 10/04/24 @ Lookout Valley | 2 |
Hunter Fowler continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 123 yards and four TDs on only six carries, while also catching one touchdown. Those four rushing touchdowns gave him a new career-high.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Sale Creek proved: they limited Lookout Valley to a paltry 3.1 yards per carry. The team can thank William Bazemore for the heroic effort on defense: he. Sale Creek didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.5.
Sale Creek's defense didn't let Brandon Moore Jr, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Bazemore, Bryce Thomas, and Hudson Ewald, who each picked up one sack apiece. Bazemore was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making eight total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, after soaring to 44 points the game before, Copper Basin was a bit more limited in their matchup on Thursday. They were dealt an 86-7 defeat at the hands of South Pittsburg. The Cougars were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 79-7.
Sale Creek's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 12.0 points on average over those games. As for Copper Basin, their loss dropped their record down to 3-6.
Sale Creek strolled past Copper Basin in their previous meeting back in November of 2024 by a score of 38-19. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Cougars' Cade Dean, who threw for 106 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes, and also rushed for 74 yards. Now that he won't be playing on Thursday, will it be easier for the Panthers to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
