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

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

Niobrara/Verdigre is headed into Friday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight games on Friday. 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.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Coy Wickersham, who rushed for 71 yards and one TD, and also picked up 43 receiving yards. Another player making a difference was Cash Wickersham, who rushed for 70 yards and three scores.

Meanwhile, Wausa/Osmond faced Crofton in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. Wausa/Osmond was outmatched by Crofton and fell 50-12. Wausa/Osmond was red-hot offensively heading into the matchup (they scored no less than 31 points in the four games prior), but Crofton's defense proved too tough.

Niobrara/Verdigre will have to contain Mac Carlson as he made an impact in Wausa/Osmond's last game. He rushed for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns, 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.

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.

Niobrara/Verdigre skirted past Wausa/Osmond 16-14 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Wausa/Osmond's Colton Baue, who rushed for 85 yards and one TD on only seven carries, and also caught one score. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Cougars to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.