Hersey has won five straight games at home, while St. Rita has won five straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Saturday. The Huskies will host the Mustangs at 3:00 p.m. Hersey knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past nine matchups -- so hopefully St. Rita likes a good challenge.
Hersey is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Everything went their way against Richards as they made off with a 42-21 victory. Considering the Huskies have won eight games by more than 20 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Brandon Jenkins
| 11/07/25 vs Richards | 281 |
| 10/10/24 @ Prospect | 252 |
| 09/13/24 vs Maine South | 236 |
| 10/24/25 @ Rolling Meadows | 207 |
| 09/06/24 vs Barrington | 192 |
Brandon Jenkins produced another solid performance rushing for 281 yards and a pair of scores while picking up 13.4 yards per carry. Those 281 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Jake Nawrot also helped with two touchdowns in total.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Hersey was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 350 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Hersey's defense and their six sacks. Nick Jelaca refused to say out of the backfield, picking up two sacks all by himself. Hersey got some further help from Jelaca: he picked up two sacks and made nine total tackles.
Meanwhile, St. Rita's offense rose to the challenge against a Knights defense that boasted an average of only 12 points allowed on Saturday. The Mustangs skirted past Lincoln-Way Central 31-28.
Hersey better keep an eye on Brandon Johnson Jr.. He was instrumental in St. Rita's win, rushing for 109 yards and three TDs on only 12 carries. They are undefeated when Johnson Jr. posts 100 or more rushing yards, but 3-4 otherwise.
Special teams played a big role in the game for St. Rita, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Walter Jones, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Hersey's record now sits at 9-2. As for St. Rita, their record is now 7-4.
Saturday's contest will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Jenkins and Johnson Jr. Jenkins just won't slow down this season and has run in 20 touchdowns while averaging 130.1 rushing yards per game. Johnson Jr. has been a dominant force too and has run in 17 touchdowns while averaging 79 rushing yards per game.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's matchup: Hersey has been excellent in the air this season, having averaged 267.2 passing yards per game. It's a different story for St. Rita, though, as they've been averaging only 123.8 passing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant passing game? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
