Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but unfortunately for the Hermitage Panthers, they weren't the ones who walked away with it. They took a 46-41 hit to the loss column at the hands of Freeman. This was one game where the offenses had no trouble playing at a high level.
Freeman's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Butter Stephenson led the charge by rushing for 227 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.4 yards per carry. The team also got some help courtesy of Jadyn Reece, who rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries.
Hermitage's defeat was their third straight at home, which bumped their record down to 6-5. The slump could be explained by some tough opposition over that stretch, namely Freeman, Varina, and Highland Springs. As for Freeman, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
Hermitage does not have any more games scheduled as of now. Freeman will be playing at home against Fleming at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Virginia (Fleming is ranked 77th, while Freeman is ranked 70th).
