On Friday, Jefferson faced Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The Jefferson Panthers took a 31-17 bruising from the Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson Mustangs. The Panthers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Mustangs apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in September of 2023.
When it comes to explaining why Jefferson lost, don't look at Luke Oxarart. Despite the final result, he rushed for 211 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.5 yards per carry. That high mark didn't come from nowhere: Oxarart now rushed for 116 or more in the last five games he's played dating back to last season.
Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Stockton Oxarart, who rushed for 17 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 200 yards on 13 of 25 attempts. A healthy portion of that aerial production (85 yards to be exact) went to Dawson Hammond.
Having lost for the first time this season, Jefferson fell to 2-1. As for Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 3-0.
Jefferson will square off against Thompson Falls at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Thompson Falls focused on turnovers this week as team gave up four on Friday. As for Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson, they will face off against Loyola-Sacred Heart at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
