Hillsboro is 1-7 against Smoky Valley since October of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Hillsboro Trojans and the Smoky Valley Vikings are set to duel. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Hillsboro's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They breezed by Lyons on the road to the tune of 32-0. That looming 32-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Trojans yet this season.
Meanwhile, Smoky Valley had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. Everything went their way against Nickerson on Friday as Smoky Valley made off with a 36-13 victory. The high-scoring effort was just what the Vikings needed considering they were shutout in their previous match.
Smoky Valley's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Gavin Stambaugh, who rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.0 yards per carry. Another rusher making a difference was Ezekiel Baker, who rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Smoky Valley wouldn't let Nickerson keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force four fumbles. Jack Opat led the group effort, picking up two of those forced fumbles all by himself. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in rushing yards.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Smoky Valley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 387 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Hillsboro's victory bumped their record up to 3-4. As for Smoky Valley, their win bumped their record up to 2-5.
Everything went Hillsboro's way against Smoky Valley in their previous meeting back in October of 2023, as Hillsboro made off with a 43-22 victory. Will Hillsboro repeat their success, or does Smoky Valley have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
