Football Game Preview: Howells-Dodge Jaguars vs. St. Mary's Cardinals

The Howells-Dodge Jaguars will challenge the St. Mary's Cardinals on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Howells-Dodge is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 30-8 margin over Lawrence-Nelson. The win continues a trend for the Jaguars in their matchups with the Raiders: they've now won three in a row.

This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Oliver Belina and Hunter Luther. Belina gained 142 total yards and two touchdowns while Luther rushed for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Belina showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 60 yards.

Howells-Dodge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 239 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 169 rushing yards in 14 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.

Howells-Dodge didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Andre Martin and Dane Meyer.

Meanwhile, St. Mary's blew past Sandhills/Thedford, posting a 66-24 victory. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Cardinals' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked second, while the Knights are ranked 37th).

Howells-Dodge better keep an eye on Gage Hedstrom. He was instrumental in St. Mary's win, rushing for 208 yards and five scores while picking up 9.9 yards per carry, and also throwing for 184 yards and three TDs while completing 92.3% of his passes. Hedstrom's rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his sixth straight game with at least 102 rushing yards. 85 of Hedstrom's passing yards were hauled in by Ben Barlow, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.

Howells-Dodge's record now sits at 11-0. As for St. Mary's, their record is now an identical 11-0.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Howells-Dodge has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 282.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like St. Mary's struggles in that department as they've been averaging 206 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.