Football Game Preview: Pierce Bluejays vs. O'Neill Eagles

Two dominant backs in Kaiden Fritz and Braxen Eichelberger are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Pierce Bluejays will look to defend their home field on Friday against the O'Neill Eagles at 7:00 p.m. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 1,006 yards in their previous games.

On Friday, Pierce strolled past Scotus with points to spare, taking the game 28-13.

Pierce had a senior duo take command as Ryder Theisen rushed for 141 yards while picking up 8.8 yards per carry and Jackson Fischer rushed for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 11 carries.

Pierce was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 341 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 275 rushing yards in six consecutive games dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, O'Neill strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. Everything went their way against Wayne as they made off with a 47-21 win. With the Eagles ahead 40-0 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.

Pierce better keep an eye on Porter Mathews. He was instrumental in O'Neill's win, rushing for 125 yards and two TDs. Those 125 rushing yards gave Mathews a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Turner Heiss, who rushed for 50 yards and one score.

O'Neill's victory bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Pierce, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.

Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Pierce has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 342.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like O'Neill struggles in that department as they've been averaging 330.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Pierce came up short against O'Neill in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 13-7. Will the Bluejays have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.