Football Preview: Stuart Hall Knights vs. Branson Bulls
Stuart Hall and Branson are an even 5-5 against one another since September of 2016, but not for long. The Stuart Hall Knights will be playing in front of their home fans against the Branson Bulls at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Stuart Hall is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of California's top teams: Roseland University Prep, who was ranked 13th in their home state at the time (Stuart Hall was ranked second). Stuart Hall breezed by Roseland University Prep at home to the tune of 68-20 on Friday. The win was just business as usual for the Knights, who after six games remain undefeated this season.
It was another big night for Rhett Sypult, who threw for 281 yards and six touchdowns, and also rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. He is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for five or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Branson never let their opponents score on Saturday. They blew past South Fork 58-0 at home. That looming 58-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Bulls yet this season.
Tom Lardner continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, throwing for 194 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 72.2% of his passes. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, forcing a fumble and making a tackle in addition to snagging an interception. Chase Hoeveler was Lardner's top target, picking up 95 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Another reason for the win was Branson's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. South Fork's QB won't forget Julian Barnes anytime soon given he sacked him twice.
Stuart Hall's victory was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-0. As for Branson, the win was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 4-1.
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Sypult and Lardner. Sypult has put up some stellar numbers this year, and currently owns excellent season averages 222.2 passing yards and has 25 passing touchdowns on the season. For his part, Lardner has averaged 241.4 passing yards and has 20 passing touchdowns on the season.
Stuart Hall beat Branson 70-60 when the teams last played back in November of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Lardner, who threw for 366 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 11.1 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 37 yards and a touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Stuart Hall still be able to contain Lardner? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
