It’s been a great season for both the Tug Valley Panthers and Tolsia Rebels. Now, these two rivals will meet with the season on the line in the opening round of the Class A playoffs.
The top ranked Tug Valley Panthers (10-0) will host the 16th ranked Tolsia Rebels in a highly anticipated match up on Saturday at Bob Brewer Stadium in Naugatuck at 1:30 pm.
Tolsia holds a 12-7 lead in the all-time series, but the Panthers have won that last four games. It will be the second time these teams have met in the playoffs with Tolsia winning 26-20 in 2016.
Tolsia, coached by David Thompson, gave Tug Valley a tough game earlier this season, falling to the Panthers, 24-16.
For the Rebels, Robert Evans is the main cog on the offensive side of the ball. Evans has 151 carries for 1,118 yards and 19 touchdowns on the season. He may also see some time at the quarterback position.
Luke Williamson has seen a lot of time at quarterback later in the season. He will likely play a lot there on Saturday as well. Zach Ratliff has been the top receiver for Tolsia this season and will test the Panther secondary.
Defensively, Dylan Stroud leads the Rebels with 5 tackles per game.
Tug Valley, coached by Hady Ford, finished this season with a perfect 10-0 record for the first time in school history and hopes to make a run at a state title.
Sophomore quarterback Preston May will run the offense for the Panthers. May has completed 141-of-232 passes for 2,095 yards, 28 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He also has 53 carries for 375 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The talented Bryson Elia joins him in the backfield. The junior has 156 carries for 1,151 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also has 24 receptions for 243 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Sophomore Cameron Slone has established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the Mountains. He has 57 catches for 1,029 yards and 12 touchdowns. Senior Ashton Davis is another big threat in the passing game with 23 catches for 380 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Defensively, the Panthers are led by possibly the best linebacker duo in Class A with Senior Adam Slone and sophomore Cane Thompson. Thompson leads Tug Valley with 99 tackles while Adam Slone has 79 tackles.
This is one of the most heated rivalries in the Mountains, and you will want to be in Naugatuck on Saturday afternoon for this one!