Football Preview: Three Forks/Willow Creek Wolves vs. Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson Mustangs
Two dominant signal callers in Kanon Reichman and Stockton Oxarart are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Three Forks/Willow Creek Wolves are taking a road trip to face off against the Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson Mustangs at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Three Forks/Willow Creek is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 43-6 victory over Huntley Project. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Wolves.
It was another big night for Reichman, who rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry, and also threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. His longest rush was for an incredible 71 yards. Sawyer Andersen was another key player, gaining 137 total yards and two touchdowns.
Three Forks/Willow Creek was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 303 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 239 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.
Three Forks/Willow Creek didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Gavin Etchison, Andersen, and Reichman picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their game with ease, bagging a 45-8 win over Thompson Falls. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' Montana football rankings (they are ranked tenth, while the Blue Hawks are ranked 41st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson had a senior duo take command as Oxarart threw for 175 yards and three touchdowns while completing 85.7% of his passes and Blaine Downing rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries. That's the most rushing yards Downing has posted since back in August. The team also got some help courtesy of Dawson Hammond, who picked up 90 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson wouldn't let Thompson Falls keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson can thank Laytin Erickson and Downing for forcing both of them. That high mark didn't come from nowhere: Downing posted at least 105 rushing yards in the third games prior.
Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson pushed their record up to 10-0 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 28.4 points. As for Three Forks/Willow Creek, their record is now 7-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Three Forks/Willow Creek has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 247.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 151.3. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Three Forks/Willow Creek strolled past Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson in their previous matchup back in October of 2023 by a score of 40-22. Will Three Forks/Willow Creek repeat their success, or does Malta/Whitewater/Saco/Dodson have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
