Minersville is 8-2 against Marian Catholic since September of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Minersville Battlin' Miners will be playing in front of their home fans against Marian Catholic at 7:00 p.m. Minersville knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past five matchups -- so hopefully Marian Catholic likes a good challenge.
Marian Catholic is facing Minersville at the wrong time: Minersville suffered their first home loss of the season on Thursday and they're likely out for redemption. They came up short against the Hurricanes, falling 72-52. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game last Friday (36), the Battlin' Miners still had to take the loss.
Despite the loss, Minersville got top-tier performance from Dante Carr, who rushed for 143 yards and four touchdowns on only 13 carries, and also threw for 403 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 14.9 yards per attempt. Carr's longest rush was for an impressive 55 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another player making a difference was Paiten LaPoint, who picked up 166 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Minersville wouldn't let Schuylkill Haven keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Minersville can thank Owen Fortna and Jake Kavanaugh for forcing both of them. Fortna is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in the last four games he's played dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Marian Catholic entered their match against Mahanoy Area on Saturday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. Marian Catholic took a hard 26-7 fall against Mahanoy Area. Having soared to a lofty 47 points in the game before, Marian Catholic couldn't push the score so high this time.
Despite the defeat, Marian Catholic saw an underclassman step up: Rory Dixon rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown.
Even if they lost, Marian Catholic's defense still kept up the pressure with three sacks. In that department, Chase Hower was the leader with two.
Minersville's loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 3-2. As for Marian Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 3-2.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Minersville has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 218.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Marian Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 183.8. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Minersville strolled past Marian Catholic when the teams last played back in November of 2023 by a score of 28-12. Does Minersville have another victory up their sleeve, or will Marian Catholic turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
