The Wallace Wildcats will venture away from home to challenge the Sumner-Eddyville-Miller Mustangs at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Wallace knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Sumner-Eddyville-Miller likes a good challenge.
On Friday, everything came up roses for Wallace against Wauneta-Palisade as the team secured a 60-20 win. With the Wildcats ahead 44-20 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Wallace got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ashtin Johns out in front who rushed for 105 yards and a pair of scores on only eight carries. Johns didn't just play on offense: he also forced one fumble and made 12 total tackles. Tyson Sullivan got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Wallace was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 283 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 172 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 12 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Sullivan, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Sumner-Eddyville-Miller unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Friday. They had to suffer through a 65-30 loss at the hands of Southwest. While losing is never fun, the Mustangs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 27th, while the Roughriders are ranked first).
Wallace will need to focus on slowing down Chance Daake, one of several Sumner-Eddyville-Miller players who made an impact when they last played. He threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.0 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 42 yards and one TD. Another player making a difference was Jordan Scoville, who picked up 189 receiving yards and one score.
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller's defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 5-2. As for Wallace, their record now sits at 6-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Wallace has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 322 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Sumner-Eddyville-Miller struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 174.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Wallace suffered a grim 64-39 defeat to Sumner-Eddyville-Miller in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Wildcats, Maddox Jones (who rushed for 152 yards and four touchdowns on only ten carries) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
