The Newberry Panthers will head out to face off against the Palatka Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Newberry's defense has only allowed 17.8 points per game this season, so Palatka's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Newberry took a loss when they played away from home on September 6th, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed two weeks ago. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Keystone Heights 48-0 at home. The high-scoring effort was just what the Panthers needed considering they were shutout in their previous match.
Kaleb Woods continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 194 yards and four touchdowns on only 11 carries. His longest rush was for an incredible 81 yards. Elijah Beckford also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Newberry was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 297 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2023.
One reason for the win was Newberry's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for ten sacks. Malachi Lancaster and Jarquez Carter were the leaders of the group effort as each produced three apiece. Carter is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in the last five games he's played dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Palatka's offense rose to the challenge against a Sharks defense that boasted an average of only 17.4 points allowed on Friday. Palatka came out on top against Nature Coast Tech by a score of 34-26. The victory was nothing new for the Panthers as they're now sitting on four straight.
Palatka's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Justin Fells led the charge by rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns. The dominant performance gave Fells a new career-high in rushing yards. Another rusher making a difference was Lawrence Evans, who rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries.
The win got Newberry back to even at 2-2. As for Palatka, their record is now 4-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Newberry has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 214.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Palatka struggles in that department as they've been averaging 237.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Newberry was able to grind out a solid victory over Palatka when the teams last played back in September of 2021, winning 37-30. Will Newberry repeat their success, or does Palatka have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
