The Sedgwick County Cougars will head out on the road to face off against the Haxtun Fightin' Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Sedgwick County is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Akron, who was ranked first at the time (Sedgwick County was ranked ninth). The Cougars fell 26-20 to the Rams on Friday. The Cougars haven't had much luck with the Rams recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.
Sedgwick County might have lost, but man, Brady Mollendor was a machine: he rushed for 138 yards and two scores while picking up 7.3 yards per carry. Owen Harris was another key back, rushing for 154 yards and one touchdown.
Even if they lost, Sedgwick County's defense still kept up the pressure with four sacks. Noah Harens was especially locked on to Akron's QB and sacked him three times.
Meanwhile, Haxtun got the win against Dayspring Christian Academy on Saturday by a conclusive 30-6. The victory continues a trend for the Fightin' Bulldogs in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won six in a row.
Sedgwick County better keep an eye on Zach Statz. He was instrumental in Haxtun's win, rushing for 158 yards and one TD. Statz's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 121 rushing yards.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Haxtun proved: they limited Dayspring Christian Academy to a paltry 2.7 yards per carry. The team can thank Coleman Firme for the heroic effort on defense: he. Haxtun's ground attack was stronger, having averaged five.
Haxtun's record now sits at 7-1. As for Sedgwick County, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-3.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Sedgwick County has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 303 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Haxtun struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 301.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Sedgwick County might still be hurting after the 32-6 loss they got from Haxtun when the teams last played back in November of 2024. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Cougars were down 20-0.
