Two dominant backs in Morgan Kinney and Grady Drueke are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Ainsworth Bulldogs will take on the Elgin/Pope John Wolfpack at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Ainsworth knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past seven matchups -- so hopefully Elgin/Pope John likes a good challenge.
Last Friday, Ainsworth took their contest at home with ease, bagging a 60-26 win over Creighton. Considering Ainsworth has won three games by more than 33 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Kinney continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 151 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.4 yards per carry, and also throwing for 132 yards and three touchdowns on only ten passes. He is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in three or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season. Chris Fernandez was another key player, rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Ainsworth was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 285 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2023.
Ainsworth didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Jacob Held, Logan Schroedl, and Kinney picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, Elgin/Pope John didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Neligh-Oakdale on Friday, but they still walked away with a 36-32 victory.
It was another big night for Drueke, who rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in rushing yards. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Dylan Kolm, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Ainsworth now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Elgin/Pope John, they now also have a winning record of 4-3.
Thursday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Ainsworth has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 187.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Elgin/Pope John struggles in that department as they've been averaging 236.9. It's looking like Thursday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Ainsworth against Elgin/Pope John when the teams last played back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 60-8 win. Will Ainsworth repeat their success, or does Elgin/Pope John have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
