Pawnee City and Red Cloud are an even 3-3 against one another since October of 2020, but not for long. The Indians will host the Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Pawnee City is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Diller-Odell just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell 58-48 to the Griffin. While the Indians had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Griffin 20-16.
Payton Rose
| 10/17/25 @ Diller-Odell | 162 |
| 10/10/25 vs Sterling | 153 |
| 10/03/25 @ Lewiston | 195 |
| 09/26/25 vs Parkview Christian | 115 |
Despite the defeat, Pawnee City got top-tier performance from Payton Rose, who rushed for 162 yards and two TDs while picking up 9.0 yards per carry, and also picked up 48 receiving yards and one score. Rose's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 115 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, Red Cloud strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They blew past Dorchester 58-0. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Warriors' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 11th, while the Longhorns are ranked 125th).
Red Cloud didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kj Daehling and Mason Bolin. Bolin got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Red Cloud, racking up 17 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Connor Rust, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Pawnee City's loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 5-2. As for Red Cloud, their win bumped their record up to 7-0.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Pawnee City has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 274 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Red Cloud struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 212 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Pawnee City against Red Cloud in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 44-8 victory. In that game, the Indians amassed a halftime lead of 36-8, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
