Football Preview: Shepherd Bluejays vs. Ithaca Yellowjackets
Shepherd hasn't had much luck against Ithaca recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Shepherd Bluejays will look to defend their home field against the Ithaca Yellowjackets at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with six losses in a row, Shepherd finally turned things around against Farwell on Friday. They strolled past the Eagles with points to spare, taking the game 24-7. The Bluejays' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Meanwhile, Ithaca put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Tecumseh at home to the tune of 52-13. The result was nothing new for the Yellowjackets, who have now won seven games by 21 points or more so far this season.
Ithaca had a senior duo take command as Jackson Conn rushed for 61 yards and three touchdowns and Nathan Mikesell rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns on only 12 carries. Mikesell also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up a sack and making 13 total tackles. Gibson Rondy was another key player, picking up 114 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Ithaca was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 256 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 162 rushing yards in eight consecutive contests.
Ithaca didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Elijah Smith.
Shepherd's win bumped their record up to 2-6. As for Ithaca, they pushed their record up to 8-0 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season.
Shepherd took a serious blow against Ithaca when the teams last played back in October of 2023, falling 49-0. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Conn, who threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 passes, and also rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown. Now that Shepherd knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
