Newberry has been on the road for two straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. After each having a week off, they and the Palatka Panthers will dust off their jerseys to square off against one another at 7:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Friday, everything went Newberry's way against Trinity Catholic as Newberry made off with a 37-14 win. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 65th, while the Celtics are ranked 298th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Newberry's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Collin Dunmore, who threw for 125 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. What's more, Dunmore also racked up 28 rushing yards, the most he's had since back in September. Another pass catcher making a difference was Hayden Moore, who picked up 131 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Palatka). They breezed by Father Lopez to the tune of 60-0 last Friday. Give the Panthers' defense some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
Palatka found their leader in sophomore KJ Wright, who picked up 131 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 33 yards. Wright showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 65 yards. Lawrence Evans was another key rusher, gaining 101 total yards and a touchdown.
Newberry's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-2. Those victories were due in large part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 9.3 points per game. As for Palatka, their victory bumped their record up to 7-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Newberry has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 205.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Palatka struggles in that department as they've been averaging 205.9. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Newberry against Palatka in their previous meeting back in September, as the team secured a 32-0 win. Will Newberry repeat their success, or does Palatka have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
