Two dominant backs in Jaxson Green and Cooper Reves are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Andover Central Jaguars will head out to face off against the Salina Central Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
It was a proper cat-fight when Andover Central took on Goddard on Friday. The Jaguars took a 31-23 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Lions. The loss continues a trend for the Jaguars in their meetings with the Lions: they've now lost four in a row.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Green and Erik Olivas. Olivas had a great game and rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 10.6 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Green was balling out in the loss, rushing for 119 yards and one score.
Meanwhile, Salina Central put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed past Newton to the tune of 42-0. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' Kansas football rankings (they are ranked 40th, while the Railroaders are ranked 128th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Andover Central better keep an eye on Griffin Hall. He was instrumental in Salina Central's win, throwing for 201 yards and a pair of TDs, while also rushing for 45 yards.
Salina Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 274 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 159 rushing yards in seven consecutive games dating back to last season.
One reason for the win was Salina Central's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Jesus Delgado with two. He also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with 15.
Salina Central's win bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Andover Central, their defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Andover Central has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 194 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Salina Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 296 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything went Andover Central's way against Salina Central in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as Andover Central made off with a 31-7 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Reves, who rushed for 216 yards and one touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Jaguars still be able to contain Reves? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.