The Elkhart Lions will take on the New Prairie Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
New Prairie is hoping to do what South Bend Riley couldn't on Friday: put an end to Elkhart's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Elkhart breezed by South Bend Riley on the road to the tune of 35-2. Given the Lions' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana football rankings (they are ranked 44th, while the Wildcats are ranked 148th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Elkhart's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Novell Miller, who rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. Another signal caller making a difference was Quinn Rost, who threw for 138 yards and a touchdown while completing 85.7% of his passes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Elkhart was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 272 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2023.
Elkhart's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Frankie Willis and Chase Bussard. Elkhart got some further help from Kros Jones: he picked up a sack and made nine total tackles (4.0 for loss).
New Prairie never got on the board in their matchup last Friday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against South Bend Adams last Friday. They took their game on the road with ease, bagging a 48-6 victory over the Eagles. With the Cougars ahead 41-6 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
It was another big night for Reed Robinson, who rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 carries, and also threw for 104 yards and a touchdown. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in October of 2023. Zak Henrich was another key player, rushing for 131 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.2 yards per carry.
Elkhart's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for New Prairie, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 3-1.
Friday's match might be decided in the trenches. Elkhart has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 207 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like New Prairie struggles in that department as they've been averaging 251.2. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Elkhart came up short against New Prairie in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, falling 16-8. Can Elkhart 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
