The Boone Central Cardinals will head out to square off against the Grand Island Central Catholic Crusaders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Boone Central will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
It was a proper cat-fight when Boone Central took on St. Paul on Friday. The Cardinals came out on top against the Wildcats by a score of 34-21. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Cardinals' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 30th, while the Wildcats are ranked 99th).
Boone Central can attribute much of their success to Brogan Benes, who rushed for 122 yards and a pair of scores, and Kade Hudson, who rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries. Hudson's longest rush was for an impressive 63 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
Boone Central didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Max Grosch and Walker Robertson. Daron Dozler was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making nine total tackles (6.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Grand Island Central Catholic). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Cross County 52-14. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 45-0.
Grand Island Central Catholic had a senior duo take command as Jack Alberts rushed for 56 yards and three TDs on only six carries and Grayson Sack rushed for 47 yards and one touchdown. The Crusaders also got help from Connor Haney, who showed off his sure hands for 99 receiving yards.
Grand Island Central Catholic didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Cross County to a completion percentage of just 37.5%. The team can thank Mason Vasquez for the heroic effort on defense: he. Grand Island Central Catholic has been improving in that area: they had allowed a completion percentage of 0.63 earlier this season, but they've only allowed one of 0.63 in their last three games.
Grand Island Central Catholic's defense didn't let Sawyer Anderson, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. Owen Price was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself. He is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in each of the last three games he's played.
Boone Central's record is now 5-2. As for Grand Island Central Catholic, their record now sits at 6-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Boone Central has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 243.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Grand Island Central Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 186.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Boone Central beat Grand Island Central Catholic 28-21 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cardinals since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
