Elkhorn North hasn't had much luck against Bennington recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Wolves will square off against the Badgers at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Elkhorn North is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Their defense stepped up to hand Pius X a 32-0 shutout. The victory continues a trend for the Wolves in their matchups with the Thunderbolts: they've now won four in a row.
The critical scores for Elkhorn North came from Charlie Riesselman, Andersen Taylor, Jase Reynolds, and Drew Meyer.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Elkhorn North proved: they limited Pius X to a paltry 1.4 yards per carry. The team can thank Barry Fries for the heroic effort on defense: he. Elkhorn North's ground attack was stronger, having averaged four.
Barry Fries
| 10/31/25 vs Pius X | 7 |
| 10/23/25 vs Bennington | 7 |
| 10/16/25 vs Gretna East | 9 |
| 10/10/25 @ Skutt Catholic | 11 |
| 10/03/25 vs Elkhorn | 6 |
Elkhorn North didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Riesselman, Reynolds, and Fries picked up one apiece. Fries has been hot, having also posted six or more total tackles the last five times he's played. Reynolds got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Bennington, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They blew past Plattsmouth, posting a 48-0 win. Given the Badgers' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked fifth, while the Blue Devils are ranked 29th) , the win on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Elkhorn North better keep an eye on Ty Bouaphakeo. He was instrumental in Bennington's win, throwing for 231 yards and four TDs while completing 75% of his passes, and also rushing for 43 yards and three touchdowns. Those three rushing touchdowns gave Bouaphakeo a new career-high. Bennington's leading receiver Jake Russell was Bouaphakeo's top target yet again, picking up 129 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Bennington's defense and their three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Cole Miller, Dominic Driggs, and Brody Lichty, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Elkhorn North's victory bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Bennington, their win bumped their record up to an identical 8-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Elkhorn North has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 176.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Bennington struggles in that department as they've been averaging 221.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Elkhorn North skirted past Bennington 29-27 in their previous meeting two weeks ago. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Bouaphakeo, who threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 12.3 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 77 yards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Wolves still be able to contain Bouaphakeo? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
