Football Preview: Gooding Senators vs. Kimberly Bulldogs
Gooding and Kimberly are an even 5-5 against one another since October of 2015, but not for long. The Gooding Senators will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Kimberly Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Gooding took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 34-13 margin over Wood River. The high-scoring effort was just what the Senators needed considering they were shutout in their previous contest.
Rio Curtis was his usual excellent self, rushing for 274 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.5 yards per carry. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 110.7 rushing yards per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Eli Esterbrook, who picked up 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Gooding was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 313 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Gooding didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Bridger Pope and Cougar Stockham.
Meanwhile, Kimberly entered their tilt with Buhl on Friday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They breezed by the Indians on the road to the tune of 42-7. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 28-0.
A big part of Kimberly's victory came down to the chemistry between Macraye Bruning and his top target Joe Barrett. Bruning threw for 194 yards and three touchdowns while Barrett picked up 94 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Bruning is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season.
Kimberly wouldn't let Buhl keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Kimberly can thank Mason Jensen and Blake Willie for forcing both of them.
Gooding's win bumped their record up to 5-2. As for Kimberly, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a massive bump to their 5-3 record this season.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Gooding has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 216.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Kimberly struggles in that department as they've been averaging 161. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Gooding suffered a grim 31-8 defeat to Kimberly when the teams last played back in October of 2023. Will Gooding have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
