The Hitchcock County Falcons will face off against the Twin Loup Wolves on Friday. Hitchcock County will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Hitchcock County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They claimed a resounding 42-14 win over Franklin. Given the Falcons' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 18th, while the Flyers are ranked 94th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Hitchcock County's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Jayce Hauxwell and Karson Shuler, who each picked up one interception apiece.
Meanwhile, Twin Loup was fully in charge on Thursday, breezing past Neligh-Oakdale 56-22. The Wolves pushed the score to 48-8 by the end of the third, a deficit the Warriors cut but never quite recovered from.
Twin Loup found their leader in sophomore Oran Grint, who rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 8.4 yards per carry, and also picked up 47 receiving yards and one TD. Grint is becoming a predictor of the Wolves' success: when he posts at least 80 rushing yards the team is undefeated (and 1-3 when he doesn't). Carter Hall got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Twin Loup was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 318 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2024.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Twin Loup's defense and their four sacks. Mace Beran refused to say out of the backfield, picking up two sacks all by himself. Hall got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Hitchcock County's record is now 9-0. As for Twin Loup, their record now sits at 6-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Hitchcock County has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 290.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Twin Loup struggles in that department as they've been averaging 185.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Hitchcock County came up short against Twin Loup when the teams last played back in October of 2023, falling 40-28. Thankfully for the Falcons, Quincey Ryker (who rushed for 313 yards and five scores while picking up 15.7 yards per carry, and also threw for 45 yards and one touchdown) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
