Two dominant signal callers in Levi Velasquez and Kayden Strong are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Maxwell Panthers will take on the Hamilton Braves at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Maxwell sitting on five straight wins and Hamilton on eight.
It was a proper cat-fight when Maxwell took on Portola on Friday. The Panthers breezed past the Tigers to the tune of 38-7. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won five contests by 31 points or more so far this season.
Erik New
| 10/24/25 vs Portola | 171 |
| 10/17/25 @ Los Molinos | 58 |
| 10/10/25 @ Quincy | 115 |
| 09/12/25 vs Redding Christian | 77 |
| 09/05/25 @ Weed | 143 |
| + 8 more games |
It was another big night for Erik New, who rushed for 171 yards and two scores while picking up 9.5 yards per carry. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in October of 2024. Another player making a difference was Luke Pearson, who gained 137 total yards and a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Maxwell was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 311 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Portola only rushed for 64.
Meanwhile, Hamilton got themselves on the board against Williams last Friday, but Williams never followed suit. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Yellowjackets 42-0. Given the Braves' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 433rd, while the Yellowjackets are ranked 916th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Hamilton didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Barrett Boehm and Aaron Velazquez. Boehm got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Maxwell's record now sits at 6-2. As for Hamilton, their record is now 8-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Maxwell has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 225.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Hamilton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 168.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Maxwell was able to grind out a solid victory over Hamilton in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, winning 35-28. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Strong, who rushed for 73 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also threw for 163 yards and two TDs. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Panthers still be able to contain Strong? There's only one way to find out.
