New Lexington defeated West Muskingum 47-28 in a pivotal MVL-Small matchup on Friday, October 9, 2026.
Despite falling behind early when Carter Smith returned an interception for a West Muskingum touchdown, the undefeated Panthers responded. Lane Ratliff threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Eli Dixon and later returned a pick-six. Colton Mathias contributed explosive runs, including a 68-yard touchdown, as New Lexington pulled away in the second half.
With the win, New Lexington improves to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play, moving closer to the MVL-Small title, while West Muskingum drops to 6-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference.