(Game will be featured on 92.1 KMZA with coverage starting at 6:30pm with the pregame show – listen online – click here)

Centralia-Wetmore Panthers have stonewalled their opponents and now have only one more opponent impending their way to a return to the Class 2-1A State championship game for the third straight year, that being the Lyndon Tigers.

Last year the Panthers and the Tigers squared off in the Sub-State round of the playoff and the Panthers were victorious in Centralia, 34-14.

This year both teams come into the game packing a potent rushing attacks and plenty of playmakers back from the showdown last year; possibly making this year’s unbeaten clash between the two an interesting one come Friday night.

The Panthers attention will be on star tailback Josh Owens for the Tigers who has ran the ball for nearly 2,000 yards, as Lyndon averages 331.8 rushing yards per contest.

For Centralia-Wetmore they came into the season with a stacked roster from last year’s runner-up team and were the preseason favorite to win it all, but have had the focus on taking care of business one game at a time this year and that they have cruising past opponents by an average of 44 points per game, to an 11-0 record thus far.

The Panthers defense has been absolutely a stonewall on the field limiting opponents to next to nothing every game this season as teams are averaging a measly 4.2 points per game and 112.4 total yards of offense in a contest. Only 46 total points have been given up by the Panthers this season and only six in the first half of games as they outscore their opponents 390-6 in the first half.

While the defense returned everyone this year the offense brought back basically every starter, too and the single wing attack hasn’t been stopped all season as the Panthers have ran wild. Centralia-Wetmore has run for 3,807 yards on the season good for 346.1 yards per game and nearly nine yards per carry as a team. Senior, Sam Steinlage leads the charge with 1,208 yards rushing, while senior quarterback, JT Rosine has ran for 881 yards, but nine different guys this season have carried the ball for at least 50 yards or more and nine different Panthers have scored a rushing TD.

After topping Oskaloosa in the first round and conquering Olpe in the second round the Lyndon Tigers loom in front of the Panthers as they are ready to pounce on another opponent and punch their ticket to the 2-1 State title game and beat Lyndon for the fourth straight time on Friday (November 22^nd) and have a chance to vie for the school’s third State football title.