The Henryetta Knights will square off against the Wilburton Diggers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
On Friday, Henryetta was able to grind out a solid victory over Morris, taking the game 35-26. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Henryetta to victory, but perhaps none more so than Nakona Johnson, who threw for 175 yards and a pair of TDs, and also rushed for 63 yards and one score. Another player making a difference was Will Perez, who gained 132 total yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Wilburton). They took their game on Friday with ease, bagging a 34-7 victory over Atoka. While the Diggers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 1-9), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Henryetta better keep an eye on Jason Wilkett. He was instrumental in Wilburton's win, rushing for 137 yards and three touchdowns, while also catching one score. Wilkett's rushing production has been exceptional as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 123 rushing yards dating back to last season. Braiden Grossnicklaus was another key signal caller, throwing for 85 yards and a pair of TDs.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Wilburton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 243 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 171 rushing yards in five consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Wilburton didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Troy Johnston and Roman Brinlee.
Henryetta's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Wilburton, their victory bumped their record up to 4-0.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Henryetta has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 172.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Wilburton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 242.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Henryetta was able to grind out a solid win over Wilburton when the teams last played back in October of 2024, winning 25-12. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Wilkett, who rushed for 184 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Knights still be able to contain Wilkett? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
