Football Preview: Leonard Tigers vs. Howe Bulldogs
The Leonard Tigers will take on the Howe Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Howe is hoping to do what Callisburg couldn't on Friday: put an end to Leonard's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Leonard strolled past Callisburg with points to spare, taking the game 43-29. The Tigers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Meanwhile, the third road match was the charm for Howe, as they earned their first road win of the season. They breezed by S & S Consolidated on the road to the tune of 56-14 on Friday. That looming 56-14 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Bulldogs yet this season.
Howe's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Rylan Strong, who threw for 200 yards and four touchdowns while completing 77.8% of his passes, and also rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries. Strong's longest rush was for an impressive 65 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Riken Cross was Strong's top target, picking up 153 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Howe was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 367 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Howe wouldn't let S & S Consolidated keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Howe can thank Kendall O'Brien and Alex Mejia for forcing both of them.
Leonard's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. As for Howe, their win ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-2.
Everything came up roses for Leonard against Howe when the teams last played back in October of 2023, as the squad secured a 56-22 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Leonard since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
