Football Game Preview: Lakota West Firebirds vs. Lakota East Thunderhawks

The Lakota West Firebirds will head out on the road to take on the Lakota East Thunderhawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Lakota East will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Lakota West extended their winning streak to four on Friday. The Firebirds blew past Oak Hills, posting a 38-6 win. The result was nothing new for the Firebirds, who have now won five matchups by 22 points or more so far this season.

Meanwhile, Lakota East got themselves on the board against Sycamore on Friday, but Sycamore never followed suit. They breezed past the Aviators to the tune of 38-0. The contest marked the Thunderhawks' most dominant victory of the season.

Lakota West better keep an eye on Ryder Hooks. He was instrumental in Lakota East's win, rushing for 81 yards and one score, while also picking up 62 receiving yards and one touchdown. Hooks showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 51 yards. Another player making a difference was Nile Knutson, who threw for 169 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 76.9% of his passes.

Lakota East didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jayden Boyd and Hooks. Boyd got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Lakota West's record now sits at 6-3. As for Lakota East, their record is now an identical 6-3.

Lakota West strolled past Lakota East when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a score of 42-24. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Firebirds since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.