Football Game Preview: Savannah Savages vs. Smithville Warriors

The Savannah Savages will face off against the Smithville Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Savannah is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. Their defense stepped up to hand Northeast a 78-0 shutout. That 78 point margin sets a new team best for the Savages this season.

Savannah's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Aiden Knechtenhofer, who threw for 115 yards and two TDs while completing 83.3% of his passes.

Savannah was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 294 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 221 rushing yards in six consecutive games.

Special teams also played a big role in the game for Savannah, adding 14 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Caden Bowen, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Smithville came tearing into Thursday's contest with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 43 points), and they left with even more momentum. They claimed a resounding 45-6 victory over the Cardinals. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Warriors' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Missouri football rankings (they are ranked 42nd, while the Cardinals are ranked 232nd).

Savannah's record now sits at 9-1. As for Smithville, their record is now 8-2.

Savannah won a matchup that couldn't have been any closer in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, slipping by Smithville 11-10. Do the Savages have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Warriors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.