Barker/Royalton-Hartland has won five straight games at home, while Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton has won five straight on the road dating back to last season, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Bulls will welcome the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Barker/Royalton-Hartland's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last four contests.
Barker/Royalton-Hartland is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They walked away with a 44-32 win over Salamanca.
Tysen McCaa was a one-man wrecking crew as he rushed for 180 yards and two TDs on only 12 carries, and also threw for 40 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His longest rush was for an impressive 65 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Anthony Adinolfe was in the mix too, providing Barker/Royalton-Hartland with two scores.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Barker/Royalton-Hartland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 352 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 203 rushing yards in eight consecutive matchups.
Barker/Royalton-Hartland didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Carter DeSarkissian and Carson Schwab, who each picked up one interception apiece. Barker/Royalton-Hartland received some extra help from DeSarkissian, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton). They breezed past Akron to the tune of 70-12 on Friday. With the Eagles ahead 20-0 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Barker/Royalton-Hartland better keep an eye on Brayden Gibbs. He was instrumental in Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton's win, rushing for 40 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also throwing for 207 yards and two TDs while completing 84.6% of his passes. The dominant performance also gave Gibbs a new career-high in passer rating (164.3). Thandon Bensink was another key player, rushing for 106 yards and one score.
Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB six times. Lane Scarpine refused to say out of the backfield, picking up two sacks all by himself.
Barker/Royalton-Hartland's record now sits at 8-1. As for Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton, their record is now an identical 8-1.
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Joe Reiter and Bensink. Reiter just won't slow down this season and has averaged 103.9 rushing yards per game. Bensink has been a dominant force too and has run in 9 touchdowns while averaging 76.6 rushing yards per game.
Barker/Royalton-Hartland took a serious blow against Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, falling 30-0. Can the Bulls avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
