The Great Bend Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the Salina Central Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Great Bend fell on hard times earlier this season, but after back-to-back victories it seems like their luck might finally be changing. They enjoyed a cozy 35-21 win over Garden City on Friday.
Great Bend's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Cody Miller, who rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown. Daxton Minton was another key contributor, rushing for 49 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Salina Central can now show off three landslide victories after their most recent game on Friday. They blew past Arkansas City, posting a 70-27 win at home. Given Salina Central's advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas football rankings (they are ranked 41st, while Arkansas City is ranked 129th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Salina Central to victory, but perhaps none more so than Elijah Wilson, who rushed for 213 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 carries. Wilson's longest rush was for an incredible 76 yards. Hunter Mowery was in the mix too, providing Salina Central with three touchdowns.
Great Bend's victory was their fourth straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 5-3. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 36.8 points per game. As for Salina Central, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Great Bend has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 164.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Salina Central struggles in that department as they've been even better at 212.1 per game. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Great Bend came up short against Salina Central when the teams last played back in November of 2022, falling 40-35. Can Great Bend avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
