The Stuart W. Cramer Storm will square off against the Burns Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Stuart W. Cramer is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Shelby on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Storm came up short against the Golden Lions, falling 50-29. The contest marked the Storm's lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.
Despite the loss, Stuart W. Cramer got top-tier performance from Qualteau Hawkins, who picked up 144 receiving yards and one TD. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Cody Alexander, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Burns took their game on Friday with ease, bagging a 47-19 victory over West Lincoln. The Bulldogs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by 28 points or more this season.
Burns' win came from a few key players Stuart W. Cramer will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jorian Ussery, who picked up 185 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also punched in one score on the ground. Those 185 receiving yards gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Drew Dixon, who threw for 209 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 85.7% of his passes.
Burns was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 203 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 174 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.
Burns didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Markalen Jhamir Camp and Justyn Porter. Jhamir Camp has been hot recently, having also posted five or more total tackles the last three times he's played. Burns received some extra help from Kameron Rudisill, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Having lost for the first time this season, Stuart W. Cramer fell to 4-1. As for Burns, the win got them back to even at 3-3.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Stuart W. Cramer has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 183.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Burns struggles in that department as they've been averaging 252 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Stuart W. Cramer didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Burns in their previous meeting back in October of 2018, but they still walked away with a 42-38 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Bulldogs' Kujuan Pryor, who rushed for 280 yards while picking up 13.3 yards per carry. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Storm to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
