Football Game Preview: Osage City Indians vs. Royal Valley Panthers

The Osage City Indians will square off against the Royal Valley Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Osage City's defense has only allowed 12.1 points per game this season, so Royal Valley's offense will have their work cut out for them.

Osage City took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They took down Riley County 27-8.

Osage City's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Dylan Theel, who rushed for 140 yards and one score on only 12 carries, and also caught one touchdown. Theel's longest rush was for an incredible 83 yards. Another signal caller making a difference was Reed Silver, who threw for 98 yards and a pair of TDs.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Osage City was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 235 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 205 rushing yards in six consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Royal Valley never let their opponents score on Friday. They breezed past Oskaloosa to the tune of 52-0. The matchup marked the Panthers' most dominant win of the season.

Royal Valley didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Nolan Bausch and Alex Johnson.

Osage City pushed their record up to 7-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 29 points. As for Royal Valley, their record is now 3-5.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Osage City has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 204.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Royal Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 282.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.