LAST MEETING — The two teams have not met for several years. Panorama is coming off wins of 31-14 at Des Moines Christian and of 48-6 over visiting Woodward Academy while Madrid owns a 47-12 home win over Woodward-Granger and a 39-28 road win over an unexpectedly stubborn Earlham squad.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS — Panorama’s ground game came to life last week and will be put to their greatest test Friday. The Panthers have scored seven times on the ground and gained 489 yards on 82 rushes while connecting on 7-of-22 passes for 157 total yards. One pass has been intercepted, but three have gone for touchdowns.
Freshman Luke South is 5-19-1 for 155 yards and three TDs through the air, with Garrett Simmons (2-47, 1 TD), Tanner Godfrey (2-38, 1 TD) and Blaine Barber (1-70, 1 TD) snaring South aerials.
Brody Rickheim leads the ground attack with 192 yards and two scores on 28 carries, with Michael Allen rushing just three times but having the second-highest total yards at 87. He has scored once.
The defense has picked off six passes (one, by Gunnar Grunsted, for a TD) and recovered three fumbles. They held Woodward Academy to minus-6 yards on the ground last week. Grunsted has 10.5 tackles and Rickheim nine, with Daniel Jensen having recorded consecutive three-sack games.
ABOUT THE TIGERS — Madrid has thrown just five passes, completing three for 43 yards and a touchdown, with Devon Braunschweig receiving all three.
With their traditional wishbone attack it is Madrid’s vaunted ground game that does all the damage, and the Tigers have a true weapon in All-State back Michael Santi, who possesses tremendous speed. Santi has carried 23 times for 473 yards — a whopping 20.6 ypc — and has found the end zone eight times.
Wyatt Smith (23-91) and Bryce Dean (10-83) have also been involved in an attack that has amassed 781 yards and 11 TDs on 88 rushes.
The defense has three interceptions and three fumble recoveries, with Smith (20.5), Santi (15), Logan Gray (14.5) and Dean (13.5) the leading tacklers.
