Football Preview: Fleming Wildcats vs. Hi-Plains Patriots
The Fleming Wildcats will head out on the road to take on the Hi-Plains Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Fleming has four straight victories, Hi-Plains has 13 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Friday, Fleming slipped by Prairie 45-44.
It was another big night for Grant Kuntz, who rushed for 229 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 8.8 yards per carry, and also caught a touchdown. Kuntz is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 122 every time he's taken the field this season. Another rusher making a difference was Conner Marchant, who rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Fleming was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 257 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 175 rushing yards in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Hi-Plains scored the most points they've had all season on Saturday, but it wasn't enough. They lost 54-28 to Genoa-Hugo.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Ian Ayres, who picked up 75 receiving yards, and also rushed for 54 yards on only six carries. Dylon McCaffrey got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.
Fleming's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Hi-Plains, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-5.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Fleming has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 249.2 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Hi-Plains, though, as they've been averaging only 86.4. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Fleming came up short against Hi-Plains in their previous matchup back in November of 2016, falling 38-32. Can Fleming avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
