The Kearney Bearcats will take on the Millard North Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Kearney is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Papillion-LaVista South on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Bearcats were dealt a 45-17 defeat at the hands of the Titans. While losing is never fun, the Bearcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 46th, while the Titans are ranked tenth).
Although Kearney took the loss, they still got scores from Levi Pofahl and Camden Miller.
Meanwhile, Millard North's offense rose to the challenge against a Spartans defense that boasted an average of only 14.17 points allowed on Friday. The Mustangs blew past Lincoln East 42-14. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mustangs.
Kearney better keep an eye on Isaiah Traylor. He was instrumental in Millard North's win, rushing for 235 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 14.7 yards per carry, and also picking up 61 receiving yards and one touchdown.all of that, receiving production came thanks to one massive catch Another player making a difference was Cameron Leggett, who threw for 107 yards and a pair of TDs.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Millard North proved: they limited Lincoln East to a paltry 2.5 yards per carry. The team can thank Araf Evans JR for the heroic effort on defense: he. Millard North's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 0.5 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 5.23 on average over their last five games.
Millard North didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Josiah Wardlow.
Millard North's win bumped their record up to 2-4. As for Kearney, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-3 record this season.
Kearney came out on top in a nail-biter against Millard North in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, sneaking past 36-33. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Mustangs' Colin Bogacz, who rushed for 58 yards and two scores on only eight carries. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Bearcats to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
