A feisty cat fight will be fought when Cougars dukes it out withthe Bancroft-Rosalie Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Lyons-Decatur Northeast is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They claimed a resounding 63-6 win over Randolph at home. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Cougars considering their eight-point performance the game before.
Lyons-Decatur Northeast had a senior duo take command as Gavin Hardeman rushed for 145 yards and four touchdowns on only ten carries and Landen Cooper rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries. The team also got some help courtesy of Masen Olsen, who rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Lyons-Decatur Northeast was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 362 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 172 rushing yards in 14 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Bancroft-Rosalie put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their matchup at home with ease, bagging a 70-22 victory over Winside. That looming 70-22 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Panthers yet this season.
Bancroft-Rosalie got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Graysen Briggs out in front who rushed for 189 yards and a touchdown while picking up 11.8 yards per carry. The dominant performance gave Briggs a new career-high in rushing yards. Nick Buchholz was another key passer, throwing for 107 yards and four touchdowns while completing 77.8% of his passes.
Bancroft-Rosalie 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 Braylon Wegner.
The victory got Lyons-Decatur Northeast back to even at 3-3. As for Bancroft-Rosalie, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-0.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Lyons-Decatur Northeast has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 328.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Bancroft-Rosalie struggles in that department as they've been averaging 218.4. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Lyons-Decatur Northeast might still be hurting after the 50-26 loss they got from Bancroft-Rosalie in their previous matchup back in September of 2023. Can Lyons-Decatur Northeast avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
