Midland is 1-7 against Permian since October of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Midland Bulldogs will be playing at home against the Permian Panthers at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Midland's favor is that they have now posted big point totals every time they've taken the field this season.
Midland pushed their score all the way to 31 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 49-31 bruising from Midland Legacy.
Despite their loss, Midland saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Stroman Bridges, who rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries, was perhaps the best of all. Bridges really tore up the turf during one magnificent 80-yard run. The team also got some help courtesy of Elijah Mccoy, who rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Permian put the finishing touches on their third blowout victory of the season on Friday. They blew past San Angelo Central 42-14 at home. Given Permian's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 130th, while San Angelo Central is ranked 374th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Juzstyce Lara, who rushed for 151 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. Lara hasn't dropped below 100 rushing yards for five straight games. Another player making a difference was Jakob Garcia, who threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 passes.
Midland's defeat dropped their record down to 8-1. As for Permian, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Midland has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 351 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Permian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 253.7 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Midland ended up a good deal behind Permian in their previous meeting back in November of 2022, losing 31-15. Thankfully for Midland, Rodney Hall Jr (who rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.