The Standley Lake Gators will face off against the Kennedy Commanders at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Standley Lake is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past Hinkley, posting a 64-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Gators in their matchups with the Thunder: they've now won four in a row.
This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Jaden Epps and Logan Johnson. Epps rushed for 56 yards and one TD while Johnson rushed for 59 yards and one touchdown. Epps showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 56 yards.
Standley Lake was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 260 rushing yards. They are 2-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Standley Lake didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Mason Cooper and Luke Ottke. Ottke got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Kennedy was able to grind out a solid victory over Littleton on Thursday, taking the game 27-20.
Standley Lake better keep an eye on Marcelis Allen. He was instrumental in Kennedy's win, throwing for 263 yards and a pair of TDs, while also punching in one score on the ground. What's more, Allen posted two passing touchdowns, the most he's had since back in October of 2024.
Kennedy's defense made their presence known, laying out Chase Prueitt three times. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Xavier Agosto. He also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with 13. Kennedy got some further help from Xavier Benavidez: he forced one fumble and made 16 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Standley Lake's win bumped their record up to 3-5. As for Kennedy, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
Thursday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. Standley Lake has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 166.4 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Kennedy, though, as they've been averaging only 89.6 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Standley Lake against Kennedy when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as the team secured a 42-0 win. Do the Gators have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Commanders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
