Two dominant backs in Braxen Eichelberger and Thomas Settje are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The O'Neill Eagles will be playing in front of their home fans against the Scotus Shamrocks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. O'Neill will come into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
O'Neill is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their matchup on Friday with ease, bagging a 70-0 victory over Schuyler. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won five contests by 22 points or more so far this season.
O'Neill's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Grady Welke led the charge by rushing for 64 yards and two scores. Welke was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 54 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaiden Martinez, who rushed for 72 yards and one touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: O'Neill was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 285 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 202 rushing yards in eight consecutive games dating back to last season.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for O'Neill, adding 16 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Eichelberger, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 76 points the game before, Scotus was a bit more limited in their matchup on Friday. They had to suffer through a 35-3 loss at the hands of Lakeview. The Shamrocks haven't had much luck with the Vikings recently, as the team has come up short the last seven times they've met.
O'Neill's win bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Scotus, their loss dropped their record down to 2-5.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. O'Neill has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 305.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Scotus struggles in that department as they've been averaging 172.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
O'Neill strolled past Scotus in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a score of 32-13. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Shamrocks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
