Football Game Preview: Pawnee City Indians vs. Sterling Jets

Pawnee City and Sterling are an even 4-4 against one another since September of 2015, but not for long. The Indians will host the Jets at 7:00 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.

As a matter of fact, Pawnee City put up the most points they have all season on Friday. They secured a 56-50 W over Lewiston. The victory continues a trend for the Indians in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won six in a row.

Payton Rose

Rushing Yards

09/19/25 @ Hampton	77
09/05/25 vs Dorchester	111
09/26/25 vs Parkview Christian	115
08/29/25 @ Meridian	133
10/03/25 @ Lewiston	195

Pawnee City found their leader in sophomore Payton Rose, who rushed for 195 yards and one TD while picking up 9.3 yards per carry. Those 195 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Rose.

Pawnee City's run defense was locked in: Lewiston could only muster three yards per carry. The team can thank Dawson Wilkinson for the heroic effort on defense: he. Pawnee City didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 8.8.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Sterling, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They strolled past Diller-Odell with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 37-18.

Sterling's win bumped their record up to 2-3. As for Pawnee City, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.

Everything came up roses for Pawnee City against Sterling in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 53-0 win. Will the Indians repeat their success, or do the Jets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.