The Pratt Greenbacks will head out to take on the Chaparral Roadrunners at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
If Pratt beats Chaparral with 41 points on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. The Greenbacks blew past Larned, posting a 41-6 victory. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 26-6.
Pratt found their leader in sophomore Cade Liggett, who rushed for 104 yards and one score on only 11 carries, and also picked up 35 receiving yards and one TD. Arley Morrell was in the mix too, providing the Greenbacks with two touchdowns.
Pratt didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Hudson Titus and Gavin Rupe. Pratt received some extra help from Morrell, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Chaparral strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. Everything went their way against Belle Plaine as they made off with a 42-20 win. The Roadrunners pushed the score to 42-7 by the end of the third, a deficit the Dragons cut but never quite recovered from.
Pratt better keep an eye on Daniel Schmidt. He was instrumental in Chaparral's win, rushing for 29 yards and a pair of TDs, while also throwing for 38 yards and one touchdown. Schmidt also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making one tackle and defending one pass in addition to snagging an interception.
Chaparral was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 237 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 192 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Chaparral's defense and their five sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Vohn Williams and Justin Ord, who racked up four sacks between them.
Pratt now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Chaparral, their victory bumped their record up to 3-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Pratt has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 173.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Chaparral struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 210.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Pratt against Chaparral when the teams last played back in September of 2024, as the squad secured a 49-10 win. In that contest, the Greenbacks amassed a halftime lead of 42-3, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
