Football Game Preview: Wausa/Osmond vs. Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars

Wausa/Osmond will head out to square off against the Niobrara/Verdigre Cougars at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Wausa/Osmond is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Crofton, who was ranked 14th at the time (Wausa/Osmond was ranked 22nd). Wausa/Osmond was dealt a 50-12 loss at the hands of Crofton on Friday. The matchup marked Wausa/Osmond's lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Despite the defeat, Wausa/Osmond got top-tier performance from Mac Carlson, who rushed for 110 yards and a pair of scores, and also threw for 125 yards on nine of 18 attempts. Carlson's rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 110 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, Niobrara/Verdigre was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They came up short against Bloomfield, falling 52-26. The Cougars were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 28-8.

Wausa/Osmond will need to focus on slowing down Coy Wickersham, one of several Niobrara/Verdigre players who made an impact when they last played. He rushed for 71 yards and one touchdown, and also picked up 43 receiving yards. Cash Wickersham also helped with three TDs in total.

Having lost for the first time this season, Wausa/Osmond fell to 6-1. As for Niobrara/Verdigre, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-6.

Wausa/Osmond couldn't quite finish off Niobrara/Verdigre in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 and fell 16-14. Can Wausa/Osmond avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.