Football Game Preview: Council Grove Braves vs. St. Marys Bears

The Council Grove Braves are taking a road trip to square off against the St. Marys Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Council Grove will be strutting in after a win while St. Marys will be coming in after a defeat.

Council Grove will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any points last Friday, then bounced right back against Central Heights on Friday. The Braves took their contest with ease, bagging a 55-8 victory over the Vikings. That 47 point margin sets a new team best for the Braves this season.

Luke Stewart

Passer Rating

10/10/25 @ Central Heights	126
10/03/25 vs Osage City	27.7
09/05/25 vs Wabaunsee	68.4
11/22/24 vs Nemaha Central	28.7
11/15/24 @ Humboldt	96
+ 2 more games

Luke Stewart was a one-man wrecking crew as he threw for 164 yards and four TDs, and also rushed for 61 yards and one score on only six carries. What's more, he racked up 126 passer rating, the most he's had since back in November of 2024. Blaise French was another key player, rushing for 139 yards and one touchdown on only 12 carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Council Grove was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 298 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, St. Marys had to suffer through a 49-14 loss at the hands of Osage City. The Bears have struggled against the Indians recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

Council Grove will have to contain Kanon Vansickle as he made an impact in St. Marys' last game. He picked up 98 receiving yards and one TD. Vansickle also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making five total tackles and defending one pass.

Council Grove's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. The road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 36.7 points this season. As for St. Marys, their loss dropped their record down to 3-3.

Things could have been worse for Council Grove, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 22-6 loss to St. Marys when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Can the Braves avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.