The Niles West Wolves will face off against the Vernon Hills Cougars at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Niles West fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against Niles North on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They were just a hair shy of victory and fell 23-22 to the Vikings. Wolves fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team has lost against the Vikings since Friday.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous four contest, Vernon Hills brought some dynamite into their most recent game. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Maine East 42-0. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Cougars as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Vernon Hills' win came from a few key players Niles West will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jack Gutowski, who rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries. Those 149 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Colin McMurray, who rushed for 104 yards and three scores on only ten carries.
Vernon Hills was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 409 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Niles West's loss dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Vernon Hills, their win bumped their record up to 2-4.
Everything came up roses for Niles West against Vernon Hills in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 45-7 victory. In that matchup, the Wolves amassed a halftime lead of 24-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
