Anselmo-Merna has won five straight games at home, while Sandhills/Thedford has won five straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Coyotes will face off against the Knights at 7:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.
Anselmo-Merna is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They breezed past Lyons-Decatur Northeast to the tune of 58-22. Given the Coyotes' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 11th, while the Cougars are ranked 90th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
The match pitted two dominant signal callers against one another in Dane Duryea and Brady Hayes. Duryea had a great game and rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Hayes was balling out in the loss, throwing for 161 yards and a pair of TDs, while also rushing for 36 yards and one score.
Meanwhile, Sandhills/Thedford humbled Winside with a 46-12 victory. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won four contests by 24 points or more so far this season.
Anselmo-Merna better keep an eye on Maurice Robinson. He was instrumental in Sandhills/Thedford's win, rushing for 192 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 9.1 yards per carry, and also throwing for 113 yards and a pair of TDs. Robinson didn't just play on offense: he also made three total tackles and defended two passes. Carter Anderson was in the mix too, providing Sandhills/Thedford with two scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Sandhills/Thedford's defense and their five sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Mason Cooksley and Peyton Saner, who each picked up two sacks apiece.
Anselmo-Merna's record now sits at 8-1. As for Sandhills/Thedford, their record is now 7-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Anselmo-Merna has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 250.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Sandhills/Thedford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 251.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Anselmo-Merna came out on top in a nail-biter against Sandhills/Thedford when the teams last played back in August, sneaking past 36-34. Will the Coyotes repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
