Football Preview: Mishawaka Cavemen vs. East Noble Knights
Mishawaka is on a six-game streak of home wins, while East Noble is on a six-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Mishawaka Cavemen will welcome the East Noble Knights at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both have allowed few points on average, (Mishawaka: 14.8, East Noble: 10.1) so any points scored will be well earned.
Mishawaka picked up another tournament win on Friday. They took down New Prairie 21-7.
Mishawaka found their leader in sophomore Landon Snyder, who rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Kadyn O'Neal was another key player, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Mishawaka was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 248 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as New Prairie only rushed for 111.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but East Noble had no problem doing just that on Friday. They blew past the Vikings 52-17. Considering the Knights have won ten matches by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
It was another big night for Dylan Krehl, who rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, forcing a fumble and making seven total tackles in addition to snagging an interception which he returned one-yard for a touchdown. Jacob Ramey was in the mix too, providing East Noble with a touchdown.
East Noble didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Alex Scott, Krehl, and Kobe Ritchie picked up one apiece. Krehl's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 121 rushing yards.
Mishawaka's win bumped their record up to 11-2. As for East Noble, their victory bumped their record up to 12-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Mishawaka has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 291.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like East Noble struggles in that department as they've been averaging 226.3. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Mishawaka came up short against East Noble when the teams last played back in August of 2019, falling 34-29. Thankfully for Mishawaka, Gage Ernsberger (who picked up 115 receiving yards and two touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
