The Mountain Grove Panthers will venture away from home to take on the Salem Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Mountain Grove's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last five matchups.
Mountain Grove will bounce into Friday's game after beating Liberty, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Panthers took their contest on Friday with ease, bagging a 35-6 win over the Eagles. With the Panthers ahead 28-6 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
Braydon Curtiss
| 10/03/25 vs Liberty | 3 |
| 10/18/24 vs Houston | 2 |
| 10/11/24 vs Salem | 2 |
| 09/27/24 @ Cabool | 2 |
| 09/20/24 vs Willow Springs | 2 |
Braydon Curtiss had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 132 yards and three scores. Those three rushing touchdowns gave him a new career-high. Aden Estep got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Mountain Grove, adding 11 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Estep, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Mountain Grove didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Eli Golden.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Salem, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They walked away with a 20-12 victory over Willow Springs on Friday. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Bears recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Salem's victory was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 2-4. As for Mountain Grove, their record is now 5-1.
Everything came up roses for Mountain Grove against Salem in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 42-8 win. In that game, the Panthers amassed a halftime lead of 35-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
