Shepherd is 0-6 against Ithaca since October of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Shepherd Bluejays will head out on the road to face off against the Ithaca Yellowjackets at 7:00 p.m. Shepherd will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Michigan Rankings (they are ranked 334th, while Ithaca is ranked 138th).
Shepherd fell victim to Clare's stalwart defense on Friday and couldn't make it onto the board. They were dealt a 48-0 defeat at the hands of the Pioneers. Having soared to a lofty 38 points in the game before, Shepherd couldn't push the score so high this time.
Meanwhile, Ithaca put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their undefeated season alive. They took their game at home with ease, bagging a 52-0 win over Carrollton/Saginaw. The result was nothing new for Ithaca, who have now won six matchups by 49 points or more so far this season.
Ithaca's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Noah Risner, who rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries. Jackson Conn also deserves a shout-out for his three touchdowns.
Ithaca's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB four times. Leading the way was Nathan Mikesell and his two sacks.
Ithaca's victory bumped their season record to 8-0 while Shepherd's defeat dropped theirs to 3-6.
Shepherd ended up a good deal behind Ithaca in their previous matchup back in October of 2022, losing 21-7. Thankfully for Shepherd, Bronson Bupp (who rushed for 185 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.7 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
