The Red Cloud Warriors will face off against the Wallace Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Red Cloud is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 58-12 win over Wauneta-Palisade. With the Warriors ahead 46-6 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
Hunter Englehart was the offensive standout of the contest as he rushed for 47 yards, and also threw for 47 yards and one TD. An impressive showing, but he really ramped things up playing D: he picked up two sacks and made three total tackles.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 14 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Connor Rust, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Red Cloud didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Rust and Josh Heldt. Rust got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Wallace against Hampton on Friday as the squad secured a 51-20 victory. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Wildcats just coasted through the last quarter.
Red Cloud better keep an eye on Colt Franklin. He was instrumental in Wallace's win, rushing for 66 yards and a pair of scores, while also throwing for 121 yards and three touchdowns on only nine passes. Those 66 rushing yards gave Franklin a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Brayden Gardner, who gained 118 total yards and two touchdowns.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Wallace 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 every time they've taken the field this season.
Wallace has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.0 points over those games. As for Red Cloud, their victory bumped their record up to 9-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Red Cloud has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 208.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Wallace struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 302.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
