The Cumberland Gap Panthers will head out to challenge the Eagleton College & Career Academy Royals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Cumberland Gap's offense hasn't had much luck over their past four games, but Friday's matchup will give them a chance to turn things around.
Cumberland Gap is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against West Greene on Thursday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Panthers were beaten by the Buffaloes 34-6. The Panthers were down 33-0 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Eagleton College & Career Academy, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They took their matchup on Thursday with ease, bagging a 40-7 victory over Oneida. Considering the Royals' offense had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Eagleton College & Career Academy's win came from a few key players Cumberland Gap will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Lane Cope, who picked up 188 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Those 188 receiving yards gave him a new career-high. Noel Meza-Flores also helped out as he racked up 136 receiving yards.
Eagleton College & Career Academy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Cope, Parker Lewis, and Meza-Flores picked up one apiece. With that strong performance, Cope is now averaging an impressive 103.7 receiving yards per game.
Eagleton College & Career Academy's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-3. Those home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 36.3 points over those games. As for Cumberland Gap, their loss dropped their record down to 3-7.
Cumberland Gap was dealt a bruising 47-12 defeat at the hands of Eagleton College & Career Academy in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Royals' Colton Relation, who rushed for 73 yards and three scores on only five carries. Now that the Panthers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
