The Hi-Plains Patriots will square off against the Fleming Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hi-Plains has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with 13 straight losses, while Fleming will come in with four straight wins.
Hi-Plains is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They lost 54-28 to Genoa-Hugo on Saturday.
Despite their defeat, Hi-Plains saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Ian Ayres, who picked up 75 receiving yards, and also rushed for 54 yards on only six carries, was perhaps the best of all. Dylon McCaffrey got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, in a tight matchup that could have gone either way, Fleming made off with a 45-44 victory over Prairie.
Grant Kuntz was his usual excellent self, rushing for 229 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 8.8 yards per carry, and also catching a touchdown. Kuntz is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 122 every time he's taken the field this season. Conner Marchant was another key player, rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Fleming was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 257 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 175 rushing yards in four consecutive contests.
Hi-Plains' loss dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Fleming, their win bumped their record up to 4-1.
Hi-Plains didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Fleming when the teams last played back in November of 2016, but they still walked away with a 38-32 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Fleming's Kolton Dickinson, who rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.9 yards per carry. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Hi-Plains to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
