Two dominant backs in Ben Schmitz and Jason Heimes are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Boyd County Spartans will be playing in front of their home fans against the Hartington-Newcastle Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Boyd County has given up an average of 35.3 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
On Friday, Boyd County lost to Bloomfield on the road by a 42-28 margin. While losing is never fun, the Spartans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 62nd, while the Bees are ranked 17th).
Boyd County might have lost, but man, Charlie Adams was a machine: he rushed for 35 yards and three touchdowns, and also picked up 38 receiving yards. Barrett Koenig was another key player, rushing for 95 yards on only ten carries.
Meanwhile, Hartington-Newcastle played a tough matchup on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They lost 50-24 to Wausa/Osmond. The game marked the Wildcats' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Boyd County will have to contain Austin Sudbeck as he made an impact in Hartington-Newcastle's last game. He threw for 162 yards and three TDs, and also rushed for 111 yards.
Boyd County has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-3 record this season. As for Hartington-Newcastle, their loss dropped their record down to 4-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Boyd County has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 285.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Hartington-Newcastle struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 260 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Boyd County was taken down by Hartington-Newcastle 50-22 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Spartans, Cole Heimes (who rushed for 255 yards and six scores while picking up 7.5 yards per carry, and also threw for 94 yards and one touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
