Paden City is 2-0 against Hancock since October of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Paden City Wildcats will look to defend their home field against the Hancock Panthers at 7:00 p.m. The timing is sure in Paden City's favor as the squad sits on four straight wins at home while Hancock has been banged up by seven consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.
Last Thursday, Paden City strolled past Beallsville with points to spare, taking the game 42-28. Given Paden City's advantage in MaxPreps's football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 87th in West Virginia, while Beallsville is ranked 691st in Ohio), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Paden City's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Brayden Neff, who rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries. Neff's longest rush was for an incredible 80 yards. Another player making a difference was Joey Baker, who rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.2 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Hancock ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They snuck past Hundred with a 28-22 win.
Their wins bumped Paden City to 6-1 and Hancock to 1-5.
Everything came up roses for Paden City against Hancock when the teams last played back in September of 2021 as the team secured a 58-0 victory. Will Paden City repeat their success, or does Hancock have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
