The Richland Rams will venture away from home to challenge the Clearfield Bison at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Richland sitting on six straight victories and Clearfield on seven.
Last Friday, Richland humbled Greater Johnstown with a 49-14 victory. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 159th, while the Trojans are ranked 423rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Richland found their leader in underclassman Grayson Mahla, who threw for 195 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 passes, and also rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries. Richland also got help from Arnold Mugerwa, who showed off his sure hands for 94 receiving yards.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Richland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 204 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 151 rushing yards in six consecutive contests.
Richland didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Jamere Christian led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself.
Meanwhile, Clearfield took their matchup at home on Friday with ease, bagging a 41-7 win over Bald Eagle Area. The Bison might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by 20 points or more this season.
It was another big night for Brady Collins, who rushed for 238 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 13.2 yards per carry. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 84-yard run. Carter Freeland was another major influence, as he rushed for 106 yards and ran in a TD.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Clearfield's defense and their eight sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Collins and Ty Aveni, who racked up five sacks between them. Collins' rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his tenth straight game with at least 117 rushing yards dating back to last season.
Richland's victory was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-1. As for Clearfield, their record now sits at 7-0.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Richland has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 175.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Clearfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 363.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Richland was able to grind out a solid win over Clearfield when the teams last played back in October of 2023, winning 35-28. The rematch might be a little tougher for Richland since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
