Football Game Preview: Howells-Dodge Jaguars vs. Hyannis Longhorns

Two dominant backs in Hunter Luther and Beau Rice are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Howells-Dodge Jaguars will square off against the Hyannis Longhorns at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Howells-Dodge will come into the game with an undefeated record on the line.

Howells-Dodge is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Archangels Catholic, who was ranked 21st at the time (Howells-Dodge was ranked 17th). The Jaguars walked away with a 40-32 victory over the Defenders on Friday.

Dane Meyer and Oliver Belina were among the main playmakers for Howells-Dodge as the former rushed for 23 yards and two touchdowns and the latter picked up 42 receiving yards and one TD. What's more, Meyer racked up 87 passing yards, the most he's had since back in September of 2024.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Howells-Dodge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 246 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 169 rushing yards in 11 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, Hyannis ended up a good deal behind Sandhills/Thedford on Thursday and lost 44-28. The Longhorns have struggled against the Knights recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.

Howells-Dodge will have to keep a close watch on Dom Boppree and Ely Van Renan, a pair of players who had a big impact on Hyannis' prior game. Boppree threw for 148 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Van Renan picked up 91 receiving yards and one score. Boppree showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 51 yards.

Howells-Dodge's win bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Hyannis, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-5.

Thursday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Howells-Dodge has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 282.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Hyannis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 161 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.