The Clearfield Bison will take on the Richland Rams at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Richland is hoping to do what Bald Eagle Area couldn't on Friday: put an end to Clearfield's winning streak, which now stands at seven games. Clearfield simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Bald Eagle Area 41-7 at home. Given the Bison's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 90th, while the Eagles are ranked 273rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Brady Collins continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 238 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 13.2 yards per carry. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 84-yard run. Carter Freeland was another key player, rushing for 106 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries.
Clearfield's defense stepped up as well, laying out Carson Nagle. eight times. The heavy lifting was done by Collins and Ty Aveni, who racked up five sacks between them. Collins' rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his tenth straight game with at least 117 rushing yards dating back to last season.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Clearfield was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 375 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 171 rushing yards in 11 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Richland came tearing into Friday's match with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 28 points) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Trojans 49-14 at home.
Richland found their leader in underclassman Grayson Mahla, who threw for 195 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 passes, and also rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries. Another player making a difference was Austin Yarnick, who picked up 89 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Richland didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Jamere Christian led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself.
Clearfield pushed their record up to 7-0 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Richland, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Clearfield has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 363.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Richland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 175.7. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Clearfield came up short against Richland when the teams last played back in October of 2023, falling 35-28. Thankfully for Clearfield, Evan Mccracken (who rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
