Bishop Kelly has won three straight games at home, while Ridgevue has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Knights will take on the Warhawks at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Bishop Kelly didn't have too much trouble with Vallivue as they won 37-21. Given the Knights' advantage in MaxPreps' Idaho football rankings (they are ranked fifth, while the Falcons are ranked 43rd) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
While passing duties were split, you can't argue with the impact Jaxson Brady and Ben Avella both made on the game. Brady gained 198 total yards and two touchdowns while Avella rushed for 54 yards and one TD. Brady's longest reception was for an incredible 73 yards. Ryan Arrellano was another key player, rushing for 64 yards and one score.
Bishop Kelly was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 215 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 162 rushing yards in four consecutive matchups.
Bishop Kelly didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Liam Oflaherty and Jared Thiel.
Meanwhile, Ridgevue hadn't done well against Nampa recently (they were 0-5 in their previous five matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Warhawks enjoyed a cozy 28-14 win over the Bulldogs.
Bishop Kelly better keep an eye on Hunter Schmittel. He was instrumental in Ridgevue's win, throwing for 209 yards and four touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. Dominic Zora was Schmittel's top target, picking up 65 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.
Bishop Kelly's victory bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Ridgevue, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Passing Yards | 1,564 |
Passing Touchdowns | 21 |
Passer Rating | 131.8 |
Rushing Yards | 212 |
Rushing Touchdowns | 2 |
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Avella and Schmittel. Avella just won't slow down this season and has thrown 21 touchdowns (and and only 3 picks) while averaging 223.4 passing yards per game. Schmittel has been a dominant force too and has thrown 15 touchdowns while averaging 151.3 passing yards per game.
Bishop Kelly beat Ridgevue 38-27 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Do the Knights have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Warhawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.