Iola is 0-5 against Santa Fe Trail since September of 2014 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Iola Mustangs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Santa Fe Trail Chargers at 7:00 p.m. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Kansas (Iola is ranked 138th, while Santa Fe Trail is ranked 134th).
Last Friday, Iola strolled past Prairie View with points to spare, taking the game 33-18. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Iola.
Iola haved a senior duo take command as Benjamin Kerr gained 235 total yards and three touchdowns and Landon Weide rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries. Weide was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 58 yards.
Meanwhile, after a string of five wins, Santa Fe Trail's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They had to suffer through a rough 58-16 loss at the hands of Wellsville. Santa Fe Trail was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 29-0.
Santa Fe Trail's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Colton Warthen, who rushed for 188 yards and a touchdown while picking up 8.5 yards per carry, and Kain Tantaros who rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Iola's win bumped their season record to 4-3 while Santa Fe Trail's loss dropped theirs to 5-2.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Iola has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 167.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Santa Fe Trail struggles in that department as they've been averaging 162.4 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Iola ended up a good deal behind Santa Fe Trail when the teams last played back in October of 2022, losing 32-14. Will Iola have more luck at home instead of on the road?
