The Elkhart Elks will square off against the New Diana Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Elkhart took a loss when they played away from home back in October, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They breezed by Winona to the tune of 49-7.
It was another big night for Dalton Walker, who rushed for 238 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 9.5 yards per carry. His longest rush was for an incredible 80 yards. Elkhart also got help from Jayden Chapman, who showed off his sure hands for 94 receiving yards.
Elkhart was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 333 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 263 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, New Diana put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They were the clear victor by a 41-16 margin over Arp. Given the Eagles' advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 212th, while the Tigers are ranked 578th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
New Diana found their leader in sophomore Dejuan Johnson, who threw for 250 yards and five touchdowns while completing 87.5% of his passes, and also rushed for 66 yards on only six carries. Those five passing touchdowns set a new season-high mark for Johnson. Davyon Mapps was another key player, gaining 99 total yards and two touchdowns.
New Diana's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB five times. In that department, Ayden Hamilton was the leader with two sacks. He has been hot , having also posted eight or more total tackles the last seven times he's played. Angel Ruiz was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making nine total tackles.
New Diana's victory was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-0. As for Elkhart, their record now sits at 3-6.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Elkhart has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 175.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like New Diana struggles in that department as they've been averaging 287.6. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
