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Washington Evening Journal
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Here we go again
Fairfield-Mt. Pleasant rivalry returns to Mapleleaf on Friday night
MT. PLEASANT — Mapleleaf Athletic Complex in Mt. Pleasant will play host to the latest edition of a historic Highway 34 rivalry, as Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant go at it once again on the gridiron.
The Trojans and Panthers go at it in a 7:30 p.m., kick off on Mt. Pleasant’s home field to start the 2023 season.
The former perennial district foes will be playing a non-district game to start the season for the third year in a row.
Fairfield has gotten the upper hand in the rivalry as of late. After four-straight years of Mt. Pleasant dominance, the Trojans knocked the Panthers off in Mt. Pleasant 27-18 in 2021, and Fairfield protected its home field 41-20 last season.
The Trojans are coming off a 4-5 season in 2022, which saw Fairfield nearly make the playoffs but fall by a touchdown in the final two games of the season.
Fairfield will need to rely heavily on new talent, as the Trojans lost leading passer and rusher Tate Allen to graduation, as well as star tight end Max Weaton.
The Trojans will likely lean on senior receiver Tallon Bates, who went for 411 yards and four touchdowns last season, including a 30-yard score against the Panthers in last year’s season opener.
Fresh off the summer sports injury report is junior Cason Miller, who rushed for 87 yards and a scorer last season, and also caught eight passes for 150 yards and a touchdown. Senior Boden Hoskins is coming off a year in which he caught eight passes for 147 yards and there scores.
The Trojans may be looking into a mirror on Friday night, as their opponents on the other side are also debuting plenty of fresh talent. Mt. Pleasant lost quarterback Jacob Richtman to graduation, and the Panthers will be without their Top-3 rushers and Top-6 pass catchers from last season.
Mt. Pleasant’s Payton Walker ran for 87 yards and three touchdowns last year. He seems like a sure bet to get his hands on the ball on Friday night.
Mt. Pleasant also debuts new head coach John Bowlin, who will try to turn the Panther football program around after a rough two-year stretch. Mt. Pleasant went winless last season and won just one game the year before.
One thing is for sure. No matter what the records said last season, the stakes will be high as always on Friday night, as one of Southeast Iowa’s most historic rivalries writes another chapter.
