Panthers host Bloodhounds in final home game

MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant football team looks to get in the winner’s column on Friday night, and it’s the last chance the Panthers have to pull that off on their home field.

Mt. Pleasant (0-7, 0-3) will take on Fort Madison (4-3, 1-2) in a district clash at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex.

Mt. Pleasant is coming off a loss at Keokuk, but the Panthers did score a season-high 26 points in the defeat, thanks in part to three rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown from quarterback Payton Walker.

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Walker has thrown for 533 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 526 yards and seven scores so far this season. He leads the team in both categories by quite a margin.

Walker’s favorite target has been Payson Coleman, who has himself up to 280 yards and a pair of scores receiving this season. Phoenix Watson’s 86-yard touchdown catch last Friday has him second in receiving, at 151 yards and a score.

Mt. Pleasant’s defense is led by Walker’s 52 total tackles this year. He has twice as many tackles as anyone else on the team. Carson Andreasen currently clocks in at 24.5 tackles.

The Panther defense hasn’t been able to turn the ball over this season. Mt. Pleasant has two fumble recoveries, one of which was returned 42 yards to the end zone by Jurha Turner. Logan Borders has recovered one fumble this season.

Fort Madison quarterback Marcus Guzman has slung the ball all over the field this season. Guzman has 1,064 yards passing this year and he’s found the end zone eight times.

Guzman has also been a menace on the ground, rushing for 263 yards and seven touchdowns. Running back Hayden Segoviano leads Fort Madison’s rushing game with 293 yards, but he has only found the end zone once.

Henry Wiseman leads the Bloodhounds’ receiving core. He has caught 36 passes for 318 yards and five touchdowns. Leif Boeding has caught 25 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns, and Brody Cashman has found the end zone twice.

Fort Madison’s defense has forced eight takeaways. The Bloodhounds have six interceptions on the year, and they’ve recovered two fumbles.

Fort Madison has dominated the all-time series since 2020, scoring 40-plus points in each of the last three years. Before that three-game streak, Mt. Pleasant had won the last six matchups.

Friday night’s game will begin at 7:30 p.m.