Columbus has been on the road for two straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will welcome the North Platte Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Saturday, Columbus needed a bit of extra time to put away Fremont. They pulled ahead with a 28-27 photo finish over the Tigers.
It was another big night for Michael Voichoskie, who rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 102.5 rushing yards per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Will Wickham, who threw for 195 yards on 12 of 21 attempts.
Meanwhile, North Platte's offense rose to the challenge against a Rockets defense that boasted an average of only 11.75 points allowed on Friday. Everything went North Platte's way against Lincoln Northeast as North Platte made off with a 47-21 victory. The Bulldogs' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Caden Joneson was the offensive standout of the matchup as he rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. His longest rush was for an impressive 67 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, North Platte was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 462 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 356 rushing yards in three consecutive matches.
North Platte's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Eli Broman, Harper Whitney, and Whitney picked up one apiece.
The win got Columbus back to even at 2-2. As for North Platte, the victory also got them back to even at 2-2.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Columbus has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 168.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like North Platte struggles in that department as they've been averaging 329.2. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Columbus came up short against North Platte in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, falling 20-7. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Joneson, who rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.2 yards per carry. Now that Columbus knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
