Clinton Prairie is 0-8 against Eastern since October of 2017 but things could change on Friday. The Gophers will welcome the Comets at 7:00 p.m.
Clinton Prairie is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Carroll on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Gophers were dealt a 51-12 defeat at the hands of the Cougars. The Gophers were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 36-6.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Alex King, who picked up 74 receiving yards and one score, and also punched in one TD on the ground.
Meanwhile, Eastern waltzed into their game on Friday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They really took it to the Blackhawks for the full four quarters, racking up a 47-18 victory. The Comets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by 25 points or more this season.
Eastern's win came from a few key players Clinton Prairie will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Isaiah Pickett, who rushed for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 8.6 yards per carry. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in October of 2024. Another passer making a difference was Gibson Eagle, who threw for 180 yards and a pair of TDs.
Eastern was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 284 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
One reason for the win was Eastern's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Sheridan's QB won't forget Izaiah Simpson anytime soon given he sacked him twice. Eastern received some extra help from Adam Duchateau, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Eastern's win bumped their record up to 7-1. As for Clinton Prairie, they now have a losing record of 3-4.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Clinton Prairie has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 157 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Eastern struggles in that department as they've been averaging 180.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Clinton Prairie was dealt a bruising 49-15 loss at the hands of Eastern when the teams last played back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Eagle, who threw for 232 yards and four touchdowns. Now that the Gophers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
