The Eastern Comets will square off against the Tipton Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Eastern is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They blew past Blackford 53-7. Winning may never get old, but the Comets sure are getting used to it with their sixth in a row.
Gibson Eagle
| 10/24/25 @ Blackford | 219 |
| 10/17/25 @ Clinton Prairie | 144 |
| 10/10/25 vs Sheridan | 180 |
| 10/03/25 vs Phalen Leadership Academy | 105 |
| 09/26/25 @ Clinton Central | 163 |
| + 4 more games |
Eastern's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Isaiah Pickett, who rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and Gibson Eagle, who threw for 219 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 75% of his passes. That's the most passing yards Eagle has posted since back in August. Kaleb Hurt was Eagle's top target, picking up 130 receiving yards and one score.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Eastern was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 295 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 11 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Riley Helmburger, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Tipton was fully in charge on Friday, breezing past Wabash 48-13. The matchup was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 42-7.
Tipton's win came from a few key players Eastern will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Zane I. Durham, who rushed for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 76-yard run. The team also got some help courtesy of Quinn Tolle, who threw for 268 yards and two TDs while completing 90.9% of his passes.
Tipton didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Izayah Mahaney and I. Durham.
Eastern's win bumped their record up to 9-1. As for Tipton, their victory bumped their record up to 6-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Eastern has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 177.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Tipton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 152.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Eastern didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Tipton when the teams last played back in November of 2024, but they still walked away with a 21-15 win. Will the Comets repeat their success, or do the Blue Devils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
