Football Game Preview: Center Cougars vs. Lincoln Fighting Zebras + How To Watch

The Center Cougars will head out on the road to take on the Lincoln Fighting Zebras at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

On Friday, Center ended up a good deal behind Colfax and lost 48-34. While the Cougars had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Falcons 14-10.

The losing side was boosted by Sincere Howard, who rushed for 56 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries, and also threw for 23 yards and one TD. Wisdom Howard was in the mix as well, providing Center with two scores.

Meanwhile, Lincoln had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 23 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They strolled past the Vikings with points to spare, taking the game 49-31. The Fighting Zebras' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

While passing duties were split, you can't argue with the impact Mason Volzer and Eli Duff both made on the game. Volzer gained 135 total yards and four touchdowns while Duff threw for 236 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 77.8% of his passes. The dominant performance also gave Duff a new career-high in rushing yards (70).

Lincoln was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 213 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Oakmont only rushed for 57.

Center has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-4 record this season. As for Lincoln, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.

Things could have been worse for Center, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 27-13 loss to Lincoln in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Fighting Zebras' Brock Galer, who rushed for 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 8.3 yards per carry. Now that the Cougars know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.