Bennington is 6-1 against Elkhorn North since October of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Badgers will challenge the Wolves at 7:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Bennington is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Their defense stepped up to hand Plattsmouth a 48-0 shutout. That looming 48-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Badgers yet this season.
Ty Bouaphakeo
| 10/31/25 vs Plattsmouth | 3 |
| 09/05/25 vs Gretna East | 2 |
| 08/30/24 vs Waverly | 2 |
| 10/09/25 @ Elkhorn | 1 |
| 10/03/25 vs Blair | 1 |
Ty Bouaphakeo was his usual excellent self, throwing for 231 yards and four touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes, and also rushing for 43 yards and three scores. Those three rushing touchdowns gave him a new career-high. 129 of Bouaphakeo's passing yards were hauled in by Jake Russell, who also brought in two receiving touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Bennington's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Cole Miller, Dominic Driggs, and Brody Lichty, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Meanwhile, Elkhorn North blew past Pius X, posting a 32-0 victory. The Wolves haven't had any issues with the Thunderbolts recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Elkhorn North didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Charlie Riesselman, Jase Reynolds, and Barry Fries picked up one apiece. Fries is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in each of the last five games he's played. Reynolds got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Bennington's record now sits at 8-2. As for Elkhorn North, their record is now an identical 8-2.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Bouaphakeo and Ethan Beachy. Bouaphakeo just won't slow down this season and has thrown 25 touchdowns (and and only 4 picks) while averaging 182.5 passing yards per game. Beachy has been a dominant force too and has thrown 20 touchdowns while averaging 169.6 passing yards per game.
Bennington couldn't quite finish off Elkhorn North in their previous matchup two weeks ago and fell 29-27. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Beachy, who rushed for 85 yards and a pair of TDs, and also threw for 216 yards on 16 of 29 attempts. Now that the Badgers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
