Two dominant backs in Beau Rice and Hunter Luther are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Hyannis Longhorns will head out on the road to square off against the Howells-Dodge Jaguars at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Hyannis has given up an average of 40.8 points per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Last Thursday, Hyannis lost to Sandhills/Thedford at home by a 44-28 margin. The Longhorns gained 52 more yards on the day, but it was the Knights that made the best use of them.
Defeat or not, Hyannis got some senior leadership from Dom Boppree and Ely Van Renan. Boppree threw for 148 yards and a pair of TDs, while Van Renan picked up 91 receiving yards and one touchdown. Boppree showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 51 yards.
Meanwhile, Howells-Dodge faced Archangels Catholic in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Jaguars walked away with a 40-32 victory over the Defenders. The win was just business as usual for the Jaguars, who after eight games remain undefeated this season.
Hyannis better focus on containing Dane Meyer and Oliver Belina as the pair were huge in Howells-Dodge's win. Meyer rushed for 23 yards and a pair of scores, while Belina picked up 42 receiving yards and one touchdown. What's more, Meyer racked up 87 passing yards, the most he's had since back in September of 2024.
Howells-Dodge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 246 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 169 rushing yards in 11 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Howells-Dodge's victory bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Hyannis, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.
Thursday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Hyannis has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 161 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Howells-Dodge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 282.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other football content.
