The Schuylkill Haven Hurricanes are taking a road trip to square off against the Minersville Battlin' Miners at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few points on average, (Schuylkill Haven: 6.8, Minersville: 15.2) so any points scored will be well earned.
Minersville is hoping to do what Mahanoy Area couldn't on Friday: put an end to Schuylkill Haven's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Schuylkill Haven took their contest on the road with ease, bagging a 59-8 victory over Mahanoy Area. Given the Hurricanes' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 226th, while the Golden Bears are ranked 458th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Niko Carestia, who rushed for 260 yards and five touchdowns on only 11 carries. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 2.5 rushing touchdowns per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Colton Reber, who rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Schuylkill Haven was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 543 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 436 rushing yards in three consecutive games.
Schuylkill Haven wouldn't let Mahanoy Area keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Schuylkill Haven can thank Brian Moran and Leyden Hertz for forcing both of them.
Meanwhile, Minersville's undefeated season came to an end after three games on Friday. They fell to Williams Valley 42-36. The defensive woes were uncharacteristic for the Battlin' Miners, who until this matchup were averaging 15.25 points allowed.
Minersville might have lost, but man, Dante Carr was a machine: he rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries, and also threw for 215 yards and three touchdowns. What's more, he's the match marked his fourth straight with at least 115 dating back to last season. Matt Dube was in the mix too, providing Minersville with two touchdowns.
Schuylkill Haven pushed their record up to 3-1 with that win, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Minersville, their defeat was their first of the season and also makes their record 3-1.
Thursday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Schuylkill Haven has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 391 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Minersville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 230.2. It's looking like Thursday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Schuylkill Haven was able to grind out a solid victory over Minersville in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, winning 35-28. The rematch might be a little tougher for Schuylkill Haven since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
