The Juniata Indians are taking a road trip to challenge the Upper Dauphin Area Trojans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Juniata is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Halifax on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Indians lost 32-7 to the Wildcats. The Indians have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the defeat, Juniata had strong showings from Ty Rowles, who rushed for 98 yards on only nine carries, and Jasper Shepps, who gained 54 total yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Upper Dauphin Area had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 27.7 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. Everything went their way against the Buffaloes as they made off with a 35-14 win. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Juniata better keep an eye on Isaac Jackson. He was instrumental in Upper Dauphin Area's win, picking up 91 receiving yards and a pair of scores. That's the most receiving yards Jackson has posted since back in October of 2024. Upper Dauphin Area also got a significant boost from Carter Dreibelbis, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 117 yards.
Upper Dauphin Area didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Karson Engle and Wyatt Troutman. Engle also made six total tackles, which is notable because Upper Dauphin Area is undefeated when he posts at least four total tackles, but 1-5 otherwise. Troutman got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Juniata's loss dropped their record down to 5-4. As for Upper Dauphin Area, their victory bumped their record up to 4-5.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Juniata has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 148.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Upper Dauphin Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging 192.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Juniata beat Upper Dauphin Area 21-13 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Indians since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
