Football Game Preview: Jefferson J-Hawks vs. Rockford Auburn Knights

Jefferson hasn't had much luck against Rockford Auburn recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The J-Hawks will host the Knights at 7:00 p.m. Rockford Auburn took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Jefferson, who comes in off a win.

Jefferson will bounce into Thursday's game after beating Freeport, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. The J-Hawks managed a 10-6 victory over the Pretzels on Friday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the J-Hawks.

Meanwhile, Rockford Auburn didn't have quite enough to beat Belvidere on Friday and fell 39-36. Despite 58 more yards than the Bucs, the Knights couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.

The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Gavin Sanders and Nic Alvarez. Alvarez had a great game and rushed for 217 yards and a pair of scores while picking up 9.0 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Sanders was balling out in the loss, rushing for 81 yards and one touchdown, while also catching one TD.

Rockford Auburn's loss dropped their record down to 1-7. As for Jefferson, the win got them back to even at 4-4.

Everything came up roses for Jefferson against Rockford Auburn in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 42-12 victory. Do the J-Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.