Two dominant backs in Braxen Eichelberger and Kaiden Fritz are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The O'Neill Eagles will challenge the Pierce Bluejays at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. O'Neill will come into the matchup with an undefeated record on the line.
On Friday, O'Neill got the win against Wayne by a conclusive 47-21. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won four contests by 22 points or more so far this season.
It was another big night for Porter Mathews, who rushed for 125 yards and a pair of scores. He showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 60 yards. Grady Welke was in the mix as well, providing O'Neill with two TDs.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: O'Neill was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 391 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 215 rushing yards in six consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Pierce strolled past Scotus with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 28-13.
O'Neill better focus on containing Ryder Theisen and Jackson Fischer as the pair were huge in Pierce's win. Theisen rushed for 141 yards while picking up 8.8 yards per carry, while Fischer rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries. Those 100 rushing yards gave Fischer a new career-high.
O'Neill's record now sits at 5-0. As for Pierce, their record is now 4-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. O'Neill has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 330.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pierce struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 342.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
O'Neill didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Pierce in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, but they still walked away with a 13-7 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
