The Oblong Panthers will square off against the Metro-East Lutheran Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 903 yards in their previous games.
Oblong is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Illinois' top teams: Martinsville, who was ranked 19th at the time (Oblong was ranked 11th). The Panthers claimed a resounding 50-14 win over the Bluestreaks. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by 30 points or more this season.
Lucas Blessing
| 10/04/25 @ Pawnee/Lincolnwood | 272 |
| 10/10/25 vs Hutsonville/Palestine | 221 |
| 10/17/25 @ Martinsville | 208 |
| 09/19/25 vs Dugger Union | 115 |
| 09/12/25 @ Milford/Cissna Park | 81 |
| + 3 more games |
Oblong got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Lucas Blessing out in front who rushed for 208 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 9.5 yards per carry. The Panthers are 3-1 when Blessing posts 100 or more rushing yards, but 1-3 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Caden Goodwin, who gained 165 total yards and two touchdowns.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Oblong was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 370 rushing yards. They are 3-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Meanwhile, Metro-East Lutheran and Pawnee/Lincolnwood were almost perfectly matched up on Friday, but Metro-East Lutheran suffered a 21-20 loss. The defeat continues a trend for the Knights in their meetings with Pawnee/Lincolnwood: they've now lost eight in a row.
Oblong will have to contain Abe Oberhauser as he made an impact in Metro-East Lutheran's last game. He rushed for 144 yards while picking up 7.6 yards per carry, and also threw for 66 yards and one touchdown while completing 81.8% of his passes. Oberhauser's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 138 rushing yards. Another rusher making a difference was Lee Watson, who rushed for 112 yards.
Metro-East Lutheran's loss dropped their record down to 6-2. As for Oblong, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-4.
Thursday's game might be decided on the ground. Oblong has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 234.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Metro-East Lutheran struggles in that department as they've been averaging 318.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Oblong couldn't quite finish off Metro-East Lutheran when the teams last played back in September of 2024 and fell 42-40. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
