Pickerington North is 10-0 against Grove City since October of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Pickerington North Panthers will square off against the Grove City Greyhounds at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Pickerington North's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last six matchups.
Pickerington North is headed into the match after thoroughly thrashing Central Crossing: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Pickerington North blew Central Crossing out of the water with a 42-0 final score. 42 seems to be a good number for the Panthers as the squad scooped up a win with the same number of points in their previous game.
Pickerington North got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Michael Taylor out in front who rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries. Preston Bowman did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 80 receiving yards.
Pickerington North didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Malachi Taylor, Amar?E Miller, and Tyson Long picked up one apiece. Taylor is also on a roll when it comes to interceptions, as he's now snagged at least one in the last three games he's played dating back to last season. Elijah Durham-Smith was another major factor on D, picking up two sacks and making seven total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Grove City, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They claimed a resounding 35-0 win over Westerville Central at home. The Greyhounds might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by 20 points or more this season.
Grove City's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Ayden Mckinstry, who gained 184 total yards and three touchdowns, and Carson Welsh, who threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Parker Toadvine was another key player, picking up 78 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Pickerington North pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. As for Grove City, their record is now an identical 6-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Pickerington North has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 185.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Grove City struggles in that department as they've been averaging 157.6. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Pickerington North against Grove City in their previous meeting back in October of 2023, as the team secured a 48-10 win. In that match, Pickerington North amassed a halftime lead of 42-3, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
