Football Preview: Joliet J Hawks vs. Shepherd Mustangs
Joliet hasn't had much luck against Shepherd recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Joliet J Hawks are taking a road trip to challenge the Shepherd Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. Joliet's defense has only allowed 14 points per game this season, so Shepherd's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Joliet will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up eight points two weeks ago, then bounced right back against Roundup on Friday. Joliet claimed a resounding 69-7 win over Roundup at home. That 62 point margin sets a new team best for the J Hawks this season.
It was another big night for Jake Cook, who rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries, and also caught a touchdown. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards. Kaden Juhnke was in the mix too, providing Joliet with two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Joliet was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 387 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Joliet's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged four passes before it was all said and done. Aj Kananen led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself.
Shepherd never got on the board in their matchup last Friday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Colstrip last Friday. They strolled past the Colts with points to spare, taking the game 36-21.
Connor Wilson was his usual excellent self, rushing for 224 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 8.6 yards per carry.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Shepherd's defense and their five sacks. Leading the way was Phillip Kelly with two.
Joliet's record now sits at 4-1. As for Shepherd, their record is now 2-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Joliet has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 205 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Shepherd struggles in that department as they've been averaging 157.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Joliet lost to Shepherd on the road by a decisive 52-36 margin in their previous matchup back in September of 2023. Thankfully for Joliet, Aidan Lammers (who rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.2 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
