The Hubbard Eagles will square off against the Girard Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Hubbard comes in on three and Girard on eight.
Hubbard's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Lakeview, posting a 42-0 win. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by 23 points or more this season.
Hubbard's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Braydon Songer, who threw for 308 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 84.4% of his passes, and also rushed for 30 yards and one touchdown. Songer didn't just play on offense: he also made seven total tackles and defended one pass. Michael Hazimihalis was Songer's top target, picking up 34 receiving yards and one score, while also rushing for 39 yards and a pair of TDs.
Hubbard didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Rome Odem and Nolan Bentley.
Meanwhile, Girard hadn't done well against Poland Seminary recently (they were 0-6 in their previous six matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. In a tight matchup that could have gone either way, the Indians made off with a 29-28 victory over the Bulldogs. Those 29 points were actually the fewest the Indians have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Girard found their leader in sophomore AJ Pearson, who rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns, and also threw for 201 yards on 14 of 22 attempts. The Indians' leading receiver Mario Lipinski was Pearson's top target yet again, picking up 58 receiving yards, while also rushing for 65 yards and one score.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Girard was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 213 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 150 rushing yards in six consecutive contests.
Hubbard's win bumped their record up to 7-1. As for Girard, their victory bumped their record up to 8-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Hubbard has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 183.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Girard struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 241.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Hubbard took a serious blow against Girard in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 45-6. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Eagles were down 38-0.
