Football Game Preview: Garden Plain Owls vs. Kingman Eagles

The Garden Plain Owls are taking a road trip to challenge the Kingman Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

While Garden Plain's victory against Haven wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Owls pulled ahead with a 15-14 photo finish over the Wildcats on Friday. The win continues a trend for the Owls in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won five in a row.

Braylen Dold

Rushing Yards (Career)

10/03/25 vs Haven	149
09/26/25 @ Belle Plaine	90
09/05/25 @ Trinity Academy	51
09/12/25 @ Conway Springs	41
09/19/25 vs Cheney	25

This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Braylen Dold and Emrick Hays. Dold rushed for 149 yards and one touchdown while picking up 8.8 yards per carry while Hays rushed for 125 yards and one TD. Those 149 rushing yards gave Dold a new career-high.

Garden Plain was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 320 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Haven only rushed for 152.

Meanwhile, after only six points in their last game, Kingman made sure to put some points up on the board against Douglass on Friday. The Eagles strolled past the Bulldogs with points to spare, taking the game 54-40. The Eagles' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Kingman found their leader in sophomore Logan Birkenbaugh, who rushed for 87 yards and four scores, and also threw for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 14 passes. The Eagles' leading receiver Trenton Clark was Birkenbaugh's top target yet again, picking up 148 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.

Kingman's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Garden Plain, their record is now 4-1.

Garden Plain strolled past Kingman in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 by a score of 38-21. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Owls since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.