An exciting North v. South battle is about to be fought. The Lincoln Southwest Silver Hawks will host the Lincoln Northeast Rockets at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lincoln Southwest will be strutting in after a win while Lincoln Northeast will be coming in after a defeat.
Lincoln Southwest headed into their last matchup having not scored more than 13 points for four straight, but South Sioux City let them put that streak behind them. The Silver Hawks took their game on Friday with ease, bagging a 56-0 victory over the Cardinals. The Silver Hawks have beaten the Cardinals the last four times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Cardinals has come to flipping the script.
Luke Mitchell was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 67 yards and two TDs on only six carries. Those two rushing touchdowns gave him a new career-high. Another back making a difference was Cam Rakowsky, who rushed for 60 yards and one score on only five carries.
Lincoln Southwest didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Colton Hoy and Alex Dawes. Hoy got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Lincoln Southwest, racking up 14 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Jackson Mowitz, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, after some red-hot attacks on offense in their last four contests, Lincoln Northeast finally came back down to earth on Thursday. They were dealt a 42-7 loss at the hands of Omaha North. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Rockets, who until this matchup were averaging 15 points allowed.
Lincoln Southwest will need to focus on slowing down Grant Matson, one of several Lincoln Northeast players who made an impact when they last played. He threw for 127 yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 48 yards.
Lincoln Southwest's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Lincoln Northeast, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 4-1.
Everything came up roses for Lincoln Southwest against Lincoln Northeast in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 50-21 victory. Do the Silver Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rockets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
