Two dominant backs in Brycen Kula and Hunter Luther are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Osceola Bulldogs will face off against the Howells-Dodge Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Osceola has given up an average of 31.7 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Osceola is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Archangels Catholic on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Bulldogs were dealt a 56-14 defeat at the hands of the Defenders. The Bulldogs were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 40-8.
Meanwhile, Howells-Dodge strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They breezed past Riverside to the tune of 64-6. The result was nothing new for the Jaguars, who have now won four games by 24 points or more so far this season.
Osceola better keep an eye on Andrew Brester. He was instrumental in Howells-Dodge's win, rushing for 117 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Blane Stutzman was another key player, rushing for 60 yards and one TD on only six carries.
Howells-Dodge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 412 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Howells-Dodge's defense and their four sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece.
Howells-Dodge's win bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Osceola, their loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Osceola has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 244.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Howells-Dodge struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 271 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Osceola took a serious blow against Howells-Dodge in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 50-6. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Luther, who rushed for 160 yards and three scores on only nine carries. Now that the Bulldogs know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
