Football Recap: Northwestern Takes a Loss

Northwestern had lost three straight on the road, but on Friday they dropped down to 1-3 to make it four. They and the Eisenhower Knights were almost perfectly matched up, but the Wildcats suffered a 14-13 defeat. The Wildcats were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Knights apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in September of 2024.

Northwestern's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Reese Gonzales, who picked up 44 receiving yards and a pair of TDs, and Braden Swift, who threw for 89 yards and two touchdowns.

Northwestern didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Avery Merritt and Jeremiah Friend.

As for Eisenhower, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 3-1. The victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 13.7 points on average over those games.

Leading Eisenhower to victory were Caleb Jakubczak and Logan Penley. Jakubczak rushed for 131 yards and one score while picking up 7.3 yards per carry, while Penley rushed for 100 yards. Jakubczak didn't just play on offense: he also made eight total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended one pass.

Northwestern didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next matchup, a 28-14 loss against Conneaut Area on the 19th. As for Eisenhower, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next game, a 33-8 win against Cochranton on the 19th.