Football Preview: Blaine Bengals vs. Maple Grove Crimson
Blaine hasn't had much luck against Maple Grove recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Blaine Bengals will head out to square off against the Maple Grove Crimson at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Blaine 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 blew past Osseo 48-21 at home. That looming 48-21 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Bengals yet this season.
It was another big night for Sam Shaughessy, who rushed for 162 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 9.0 yards per carry, and also threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes. He showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 50 yards. Muizz Fowoshere was another major influence, as he rushed for 66 yards and ran in a TD.
Blaine wouldn't let Osseo keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Blaine can thank Jeremiah Reynolds and Ashton Mattson for forcing both of them. Mattson also set a new season high mark in total tackles with nine. Blaine got some further help from Carter Mackey: he picked up 0.5 sacks and made 11 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Maple Grove put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Anoka at home to the tune of 55-14. Given the Crimson's advantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota football rankings (they are ranked 25th, while the Tornadoes are ranked 176th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Blaine's record now sits at 3-1. As for Maple Grove, their record is now 4-0.
Blaine was dealt a bruising 55-21 defeat at the hands of Maple Grove in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. Can Blaine avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
