The Columbia Eagles will square off against the Roxana Shells at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Friday, Columbia was able to grind out a solid victory over Taylorville, taking the game 35-27.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Columbia was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 224 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Taylorville only rushed for 124.
Meanwhile, Roxana was fully in charge on Friday, breezing past Civic Memorial 51-12 at home. Given the Shells' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked 133rd, while the Eagles are ranked 345th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Roxana's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. Zebediah Katzmarek picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown.
Columbia now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Roxana, they now also have a winning record of 2-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the trenches. Columbia has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 213.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Roxana struggles in that department as they've been averaging 318.7. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Columbia took a serious blow against Roxana in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, falling 37-0. Thankfully for Columbia, Evan Wells (who rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.6 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
