The Custer Wildcats will challenge the Hot Springs Bison at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Custer was handed a 50-point defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Friday. In a tight contest that could have gone either way, they made off with a 19-18 victory over Lead-Deadwood. The Wildcats' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Meanwhile, Hot Springs waltzed into their matchup on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They walked away with a 31-20 win over the Comets.
Custer better keep an eye on Grant Heil. He was instrumental in Hot Springs' win, rushing for 111 yards and one touchdown on only 11 carries, while also throwing for 13 yards and one TD. Those 111 rushing yards gave Heil a new career-high. Hot Springs also got a significant boost from Clancy Koupal, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 139 yards.
Hot Springs was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 269 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 200 rushing yards in five consecutive games.
Hot Springs didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Jaydon WhiteFace, Jaydon Koffler, and Connor Kramer picked up one apiece.
Custer's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Hot Springs, the win got them back to even at 3-3.
Custer took a serious blow against Hot Springs in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 48-21. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Koupal, who rushed for 181 yards and three scores on only 15 carries, and also picked up 31 receiving yards. Now that the Wildcats know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
