The Pender Pendragons will head out to square off against the Homer Knights at 7:00 a.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Pender has three straight wins, Homer has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Last Friday, Pender strolled past Tri County Northeast with points to spare, taking the game 31-12.
Owen Kneifl was his usual excellent self, rushing for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Pender was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 217 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 217 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Homer took a blow against Guardian Angels Central Catholic on Friday, falling 47-6. While losing is never fun, the Knights can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 110th, while the Bluejays are ranked 34th).
Pender's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Homer, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-3.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Pender has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 234.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Homer struggles in that department as they've been averaging 149.5. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Pender against Homer when the teams last played back in October of 2021, as the squad secured a 56-16 win. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Homer's Avery Overfelt, who rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and also picked up 41 receiving yards. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Pender to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
