Two dominant backs in Jason Heimes and Ben Schmitz are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Hartington-Newcastle Wildcats will challenge the Boyd County Spartans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hartington-Newcastle has given up an average of 28.7 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Hartington-Newcastle is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Wausa/Osmond on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Wildcats lost 50-24 to Wausa/Osmond. The matchup marked the Wildcats' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Despite the loss, Hartington-Newcastle got top-tier performance from Austin Sudbeck, who threw for 162 yards and three TDs, and also rushed for 111 yards.
Meanwhile, Boyd County lost to Bloomfield on the road by a 42-28 margin on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Spartans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 62nd, while the Bees are ranked 17th).
Hartington-Newcastle will have to contain Charlie Adams as he made an impact in Boyd County's last game. He rushed for 35 yards and three scores, and also picked up 38 receiving yards. Boyd County also got a significant boost from Barrett Koenig, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 95 yards.
This is the second loss in a row for Hartington-Newcastle and nudges their season record down to 4-2. As for Boyd County, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Hartington-Newcastle has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 260 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Boyd County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 285.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Hartington-Newcastle against Boyd County in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 50-22 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Spartans' Hudson Hoffman, who rushed for 115 yards and one touchdown, and also picked up 54 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Wildcats to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
