The Hooks Hornets are taking a road trip to challenge the De Kalb Bears at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
On Friday, Hooks got the win against Redwater by a conclusive 39-13. The Hornets haven't had any issues with the Dragons recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Ripken Birdwell had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 72 yards and two scores on only eight carries, while also throwing for 178 yards and one TD.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Hooks was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 340 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 272 rushing yards in four consecutive contests.
Hooks' defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB three times. In that department, Adyn McCall was the leader with two sacks. Hooks received some extra help from Trenton Haynes, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask De Kalb). They claimed a resounding 50-6 victory over Queen City. The Bears pushed the score to 50-0 by the end of the third, a deficit the Bulldogs cut but never quite recovered from.
De Kalb's win came from a few key players Hooks will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Dom Dunn, who rushed for 119 yards and one touchdown on only ten carries. Those 119 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Walker Matteson, who picked up 107 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.
Hooks' record now sits at 6-3. As for De Kalb, their record is now an identical 6-3.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Hooks has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 258.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like De Kalb struggles in that department as they've been averaging 150 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Hooks was dealt a bruising 42-14 loss at the hands of De Kalb in their previous meeting back in November of 2024. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Hornets were down 28-0.
