Football Game Preview: Cozad Haymakers vs. Minden Whippets

The Cozad Haymakers are taking a road trip to challenge the Minden Whippets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Cozad will be strutting in after a win while Minden will be coming in after a defeat.

Cozad will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up ten points last Friday, then bounced right back against Holdrege on Friday. The Haymakers really took it to the Dusters for the full four quarters, racking up a 42-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Haymakers in their matchups with the Dusters: they've now won three in a row.

Olliver Davis was nothing short of spectacular: he threw for 335 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 14.0 yards per attempt. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up 0.5 sacks and making nine total tackles (1.5 for loss). Cozad's leading receiver Mathew Arndt was Davis' top target yet again, picking up 149 receiving yards and one score.

Cozad's run defense was locked in: Holdrege could only muster 1.3 yards per carry. While two picked up at least nine total tackles, Davis stood above the rest. He threw for 335 yards and five TDs while picking up 14.0 yards per attempt. Cozad's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 3.6.

Cozad's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for five sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Davis and Harrison Edeal, who each picked up 0.5 sacks apiece. Arndt got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Minden was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They lost 27-6 to Gothenburg. The Whippets were down 20-0 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.

Minden didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Andrew Runions and Caleb Schwenka.

The victory got Cozad back to even at 4-4. As for Minden, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-6.

Cozad beat Minden 20-7 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Haymakers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.