Preview: Wilcox-Hildreth Falcons vs. Harvard Cardinals
Wilcox-Hildreth and Harvard are an even 3-3 against one another since September of 2016, but not for long. The Wilcox-Hildreth Falcons will head out on the road to face off against the Harvard Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Wilcox-Hildreth has three straight victories, Harvard has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Friday, Wilcox-Hildreth's game was all tied up 14-14 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. Everything went their way against Red Cloud as Wilcox-Hildreth made off with a 40-14 win. The result was nothing new for Wilcox-Hildreth, who have now won four contests by 26 points or more so far this season.
Among those leading the charge was Gaige Ritner, who rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 32 yards and a touchdown while completing 100% of his passes. Ritner is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last three games he's played. Graiden Ritner and his 95 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Wilcox-Hildreth's win.
Meanwhile, it's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 52-7, which was the final score in Harvard's tilt against Shelton on Friday. Harvard was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 33-0.
Wilcox-Hildreth's win bumped their season record to 6-1 while Harvard's loss dropped theirs to 3-4.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday' matchup: Wilcox-Hildreth has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 351.9 total yards per game. It's a different story for Harvard, though, as they've been averaging only 229.9 per game. Will Wilcox-Hildreth be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will Harvard flip the ?
Everything came up roses for Wilcox-Hildreth against Harvard in their previous meeting back in October of 2022 as the team secured a 68-32 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Harvard's Xavier Marburger, who rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Wilcox-Hildreth to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
