Football Preview: Pawnee City Indians vs. Red Cloud Warriors
The Pawnee City Indians will square off against the Red Cloud Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Red Cloud is hoping to do what Diller-Odell couldn't on Friday: put an end to Pawnee City's winning streak, which now stands at seven games. Pawnee City claimed a resounding 75-7 victory over Diller-Odell at home. The Indians' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Anthony Kling went supernova for Pawnee City, picking up 47 receiving yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 32 yards and a touchdown. Kling also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, forcing a fumble and making five total tackles in addition to snagging an interception.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Pawnee City was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 281 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 157 rushing yards in ten consecutive games dating back to last season.
Pawnee City wouldn't let Diller-Odell keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Pawnee City can thank Kling and Jesse Mclaughlin for forcing both of them.
Meanwhile, Red Cloud put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their contest on the road with ease, bagging a 60-8 win over Dorchester. Given the Warriors' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 18th, while the Longhorns are ranked 128th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Hunter Englehart, who rushed for 87 yards and three touchdowns on only five carries.
Pawnee City pushed their record up to 7-0 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Red Cloud, their win bumped their record up to an identical 7-0.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Pawnee City has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 287.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Red Cloud struggles in that department as they've been averaging 287.6. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Pawnee City against Red Cloud when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 58-22 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Pawnee City since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
