The Curtis Vikings will be playing at home against the Kentwood Conquerors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Curtis will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any points two weeks ago, then bounced right back against Yelm on Thursday. The Vikings blew past the Tornados 37-7. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Vikings' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Washington football rankings (they are ranked 16th, while the Tornados are ranked 67th).
Special teams played a big role in the game for Curtis, adding 13 points to the final score. All came from Luca Niebergall: he went 3-for-3 kicking field goals for nine points, and 4-for-4 kicking extra points for an additional four.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Kentwood's strategy against Kentridge on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Conquerors blew the Chargers out of the water with a 48-14 final score. The win continues a trend for the Conquerors in their matchups with the Chargers: they've now won three in a row.
A big part of Kentwood's victory came down to the chemistry between Brandon Tagle and his top target Trevon Mayfield. Tagle threw for 185 yards and three TDs on only ten passes while Mayfield gained 120 total yards and a touchdown. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 59 yards.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Kentwood proved: they limited Kentridge to a paltry 3.5 yards per carry. While eight picked up at least two total tackles, Mayfield stood above the rest. He rushed for 66 yards and one score, and also picked up 54 receiving yards. Kentwood's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 3.85 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 7.8 on average over their last five games.
Kentwood's defense didn't let Calvin Ibale, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Lee'Andrew Rubin and Seth Seumalo, who each picked up 0.5 sacks apiece. Kentwood received some extra help from Macai Hensley-Siufanua, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Curtis' record is now 6-3. As for Kentwood, their record now sits at 7-2.
Everything came up roses for Curtis against Kentwood in their previous matchup back in November of 2018, as the team secured a 67-29 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Conquerors' Jalin Church, who rushed for 204 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 12.0 yards per carry, and also threw for 75 yards and one TD. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Vikings to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
