Two dominant backs in Grady Schmidt and Jake Cook are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Huntley Project Red Devils will face off against the Joliet J Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Joliet is hoping to do what Roundup couldn't on Friday: put an end to Huntley Project's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Huntley Project simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Roundup 36-0 at home. The Red Devils' offense checked out after the first half but had enough points banked to take the game anyway.
It was another big night for Schmidt, who rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 136 rushing yards dating back to last season. Kooper Beard also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Huntley Project was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 221 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 171 rushing yards in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Joliet took their match on the road on Thursday with ease, bagging a 49-7 victory over Colstrip. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 35-0.
Joliet relied on the efforts of Cook, who gained 156 total yards and three touchdowns, and Kaden Juhnke, who rushed for 37 yards and a touchdown. That's the most rushing yards Juhnke has posted since back in September of 2023.
Huntley Project pushed their record up to 4-4 with the win, which was their third straight at home. As for Joliet, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 6-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Huntley Project has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 167.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Joliet struggles in that department as they've been averaging 192.1. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Huntley Project strolled past Joliet in their previous meeting back in October of 2023 by a score of 35-20. The rematch might be a little tougher for Huntley Project since the team 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
