The Juniata Indians will take on the Susquenita Blackhawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Juniata's defense has only allowed 11 points per game this season, so Susquenita's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Juniata is returning home triumphant after the team finally put their road woes behind them against Camp Hill on Friday. Juniata took their contest on the road with ease, bagging a 35-7 win over Camp Hill. With the Indians ahead 21-0 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Juniata to victory, but perhaps none more so than Javier Lopez, who rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown. Lopez didn't just play on offense: he also picked up a sack and made four total tackles in addition to snagging an interception. Another receiver making a difference was Connor Boreman, who gained 61 total yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Juniata was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 301 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Juniata's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Jasper Shepps and Lopez.
Meanwhile, Susquenita came into Friday's game having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Newport 29-26. The Blackhawks' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Susquenita can attribute much of their success to Jacob Brown, who rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns, and Blaise Swancer, who picked up 153 receiving yards and a touchdown. With that strong performance, Swancer is now averaging an impressive 101.8 receiving yards per game.
Juniata now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Susquenita, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. Juniata has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 164 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Susquenita, though, as they've been averaging only 35.2. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Juniata came up short against Susquenita in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, falling 18-7. Can Juniata avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
