Little Miami @ Anderson Game Preview
CINCINNATI, Ohio- The Little Miami Panthers will travel to Anderson High School to take on the Raptors on Friday, September 3rd at 7 p.m. Little Miami comes in at 2-0 after defeating Goshen 33-3 in week one and beating Talawanda 38-13 in week two. Anderson is 1-1 after a 58-45 loss to Princeton in week one and a 29-22 win against Clinton Massie in week two. Little Miami has only allowed 16 points this season, which is the lowest in the ECC thus far. They are also second in points scored (71), only trailing Anderson(74). This is the first conference game for both of these teams this season.
Who to Watch for on Anderson: Griffin Scalf leads the ECC with 722 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns for Anderson. Scalf also leads the Raptors with two rushing touchdowns. Joey Faulkner has 308 receiving yards on the season, while Evan Upchurch has 232 yards and five touchdown receptions. Brody Berg has two interceptions for the Raptors. Anderson has had major success through the air and will try to carry that momentum with them in week three. This will be a huge test against a Little Miami defense who has been impressive through the first two games this season.
Who to Watch for on Little Miami: Aidan Jones has 426 passing yards and four touchdowns through the air, as well as two touchdowns on the ground for the Panthers. Brayden Bischoff has 212 receiving yards and two touchdowns on just seven receptions, while Grant Maupin has 117 receiving yards on four receptions. Ashton Middlekamp has 166 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Nick Greenwell has 3 sacks, while Michael Cornett and Ethan Dowden have two sacks each for Little Miami. The Panthers have four players with double-digit tackles so far this season. Michael Cornett has 18, Marcus Jones has 16, Trey Miller has 14, and Brentan Simmermann has 11. Little Miami’s defense has nine sacks and three forced fumbles through two games. The offense has also played well, as they have only punted twice this year.
The Key for Anderson: Anderson’s offensive line will have to hold up against a Little Miami defense who has nine sacks through two games. The Raptors need to continue with their lethal passing attack, as well as get things going in the run game to avoid becoming one-dimensional on offense. Little Miami has only allowed 110 passing yards, but have given up 359 rushing yards. The defense needs to stop the big chunk plays of Little Miami’s offense and force them to punt. If Anderson can put points on the board and shut the run game down early, they have a very good chance at winning this game. Forcing Little Miami into passing situations will take a lot of pressure off of this Anderson defense. The Panthers haven’t had to play from behind yet this season.
The Key for Little Miami: Little Miami has to find a way to stop the red-hot passing attack of Anderson. They must get pressure and force the ball out of Scalf’s hands quickly. The secondary has to step up big and maybe come away with a few interceptions. Offensively, the Panthers need to run the ball effectively to set up big plays in the passing game. Brayden Bischoff averages 30.3 yards per reception, while Grant Maupin averages 29.3 yards per reception. The run game will open up those big play opportunities through the air. Balance has been key to the success of the Panthers’ offense. Ashton Middlekamp has averaged 9.2 yards per rush. If he gets going early, it will open up everything for Little Miami.
Recent History: Anderson defeated Little Miami by a score of 50-40 in last year’s season opener.
It should be a good one at Charles L. Brown Stadium on Friday night!
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