The Ellsworth Bearcats will challenge the Halstead Dragons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Ellsworth knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past five matchups -- so hopefully Halstead likes a good challenge.
Ellsworth is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Hillsboro on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Bearcats came up short against the Trojans, falling 54-32. The game marked the Bearcats' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.
Tucker Goss
| 10/03/25 @ Hillsboro | 164 |
| 09/26/25 vs Lyons | 303 |
| 09/19/25 @ Minneapolis | 300 |
| 09/12/25 vs Republic County | 244 |
| 09/05/25 vs Sacred Heart | 133 |
Despite their defeat, Ellsworth saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Tucker Goss, who rushed for 164 yards and one score, was perhaps the best of all. Goss is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 133 every time he's taken the field this season. Another player making a difference was Carson Jacobs, who rushed for 104 yards.
Ellsworth didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jacobs and Jackson Minear. Ellsworth received some extra help from Cooper McGowan, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Halstead ended up a good deal behind Minneapolis on Friday and lost 40-21. The Dragons have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Like Ellsworth, Halstead lost despite seeing results from several players. Edric Zorn led the charge by rushing for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Noah Diehl was another key player, picking up 59 receiving yards and one TD.
Having lost for the first time this season, Ellsworth fell to 4-1. As for Halstead, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Ellsworth has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 379.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Halstead struggles in that department as they've been averaging 156 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Ellsworth ended up a good deal behind Halstead when the teams last played back in October of 2024, losing 31-13. Thankfully for the Bearcats, Braxton Creed (who rushed for 67 yards and one score on only eight carries, and also threw for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
