The Smoky Valley Vikings will challenge the Hesston Swathers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Smoky Valley lost 36-16 to Trinity Academy on Friday. The Vikings have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Smoky Valley might have lost, but man, Jack Opat was a machine: he rushed for 126 yards and one touchdown.
Meanwhile, Hesston was fully in charge on Friday, breezing past Nickerson 55-12. That 43 point margin sets a new team best for the Swathers this season.
Smoky Valley better focus on containing Blayne Wilson and Jerick Humphreys as the pair were huge in Hesston's win. Wilson rushed for 163 yards and a pair of scores on only 13 carries, while Humphreys threw for 218 yards and two TDs on perfect 11-for-11 passing. That's the most passing touchdowns Humphreys has posted since back in October of 2024. Hesston's leading receiver Gavin Larson was Humphreys' top target yet again, picking up 93 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Hesston, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Wilson, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
The win made it two in a row for Hesston and bumps their season record up to 3-1. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.0 points over those games. As for Smoky Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Smoky Valley has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 211.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Hesston struggles in that department as they've been averaging 205.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Smoky Valley took a serious blow against Hesston in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 48-6. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Humphreys, who threw for 182 yards and four TDs on perfect 11-for-11 passing. Now that the Vikings know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
