Two dominant backs in Keston Beavers and Quincy Orme are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Elm Creek Buffaloes will square off against the Deshler Dragons at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Elm Creek knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past five matchups -- so hopefully Deshler likes a good challenge.
On Friday, Elm Creek was able to grind out a solid win over Wilcox-Hildreth, taking the game 42-34.
Kole Steiner
| 10/17/25 @ Wilcox-Hildreth | 160.4 |
| 09/20/24 @ Blue Hill | 156.3 |
| 09/27/24 vs Franklin | 132.3 |
| 09/05/25 vs Ravenna | 115.6 |
| 10/18/24 vs Wilcox-Hildreth | 109.7 |
Elm Creek can attribute much of their success to Kole Steiner, who rushed for 42 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Blake Erickson, who picked up 51 receiving yards and one score. The dominant performance also gave Steiner a new career-high in passer rating (160.4).
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Elm Creek was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 240 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 240 rushing yards in four consecutive contests.
Elm Creek didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Erickson and Thomas Sullivan. Erickson got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, while Deshler put up plenty of points on Friday, the same can't be said for High Plains. The Dragons breezed past the Storm to the tune of 67-0. The Dragons might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by 67 points or more this season.
Elm Creek better keep an eye on Braxton Peterson. He was instrumental in Deshler's win, rushing for 86 yards and a pair of TDs. Peterson was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 55 yards. Another player making a difference was Landyn Tuma, who rushed for 59 yards and one touchdown.
Deshler's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB three times. Jackson Beam was especially locked on to High Plains' QB and sacked him twice. Beam also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with nine.
Elm Creek pushed their record up to 6-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.7 points over those games. As for Deshler, their record now sits at 6-2.
Thursday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Elm Creek has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 238.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Deshler struggles in that department as they've been averaging 242 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
