Central Panthers Football 37-21 Stayton

Central's football team picked up a road victory Friday night, defeating Stayton 37-21 to push its Mid-Willamette Conference (5A) record to 3-1 on the season. The Panthers, based in Independence, Oregon, made the trip to Stayton and left with a decisive 16-point win that strengthens their positioning in the conference standings heading into the stretch run. The victory moves Central to 4-3 overall, a meaningful turnaround for a team that entered the week at .500. Playing on the road in a league game is never easy, and the Panthers met that challenge with a performance that kept Stayton at bay throughout the contest. The 37-point output suggests an offense finding its footing at the right time of year, while holding the Eagles to 21 points showed the defense was up to the task. Central will look to build on this momentum as the regular season winds down and playoff positioning comes into sharper focus in the coming weeks.