St. James Academy is on a six-game streak of home losses also dating back to last season, Blue Valley North a seven-game streak of away losses also dating back to last season, but someone's luck is about to change on Friday. The St. James Academy Thunder will welcome the Blue Valley North Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
St. James Academy is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: St. Pius X, who was ranked 17th at the time (St. James Academy was ranked 15th). St. James Academy fell 27-20 to St. Pius X on Friday.
Despite their defeat, St. James Academy saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Sam Niesen, who picked up 138 receiving yards and a touchdown, was perhaps the best of all. Niesen torched the secondary when he pulled down a catch that went for 80 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Francis Menghini, who rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, a win for Blue Valley North just wasn't in the cards on Friday as the squad wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They took a blow against Blue Valley, falling 42-14. The Mustangs were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-7.
Lark Anderson put forth a good effort for the losing side as he threw for 147 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 40 yards. Dylan Sarna also helped out with an impressive 91 receiving yards.
St. James Academy's loss dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Blue Valley North, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 1-4.
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant wideouts against one another: Parker Chase and Frankie Tryban. Chase has put up some stellar numbers this year, and currently owns excellent season averages 81.6 receiving yards per game this season. For his part, Tryban has averaged 39 receiving yards per game this season.
St. James Academy strolled past Blue Valley North in their previous matchup back in October of 2023 by a score of 26-7. Does St. James Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Blue Valley North turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
