The Roxana Shells will face off against the Salem Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Roxana is coming into the match hot, having won their last three games.
Last Friday, Roxana beat Columbia 14-7.
The critical scores for Roxana came from Kael Hester and Luke Hartman.
Meanwhile, Salem came into Friday's matchup having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They took their game on the road on Friday with ease, bagging a 42-8 victory over East Alton-Wood River. The Wildcats' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
A big part of Salem's win came down to the chemistry between Kaeden Bevolo and his top target Trey Clark. Bevolo threw for 171 yards and three touchdowns while completing 85.7% of his passes while Clark rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns. Miking Ettress was Bevolo's top target, picking up 96 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Roxana's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Salem, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Thursday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Roxana has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 254.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Salem struggles in that department as they've been averaging 214. It's looking like Thursday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Roxana against Salem in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 57-27 victory. Will Roxana repeat their success, or does Salem have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
