Two dominant backs in Keston Beavers and Drew Blank are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Elm Creek Buffaloes will square off against the Wilcox-Hildreth Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Elm Creek knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past four contests -- so hopefully Wilcox-Hildreth likes a good challenge.
Elm Creek's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Axtell, posting a 57-0 win. That looming 57-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Buffaloes yet this season.
Ryan Gene Hodges
| 10/10/25 @ Axtell | 72 |
| 09/27/24 vs Franklin | 31 |
| 09/20/24 @ Blue Hill | 17 |
| 09/25/25 @ Franklin | 15 |
| 09/05/25 vs Ravenna | 4 |
Elm Creek's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ryan Gene Hodges, who rushed for 72 yards and a pair of TDs on only eight carries. Those 72 rushing yards gave Gene Hodges a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kolten Keim, who rushed for 76 yards and one score.
Elm Creek's run defense was locked in: Axtell could only muster 2.9 yards per carry. The team can thank Gene Hodges for the heroic effort on defense: he. Elm Creek's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 4.43 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 8.27 on average over their last five games.
Elm Creek didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Emmett Shoemaker, Keim, Thomas Sullivan, and Beavers picked up one apiece. Beavers is also on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in each of the last three games he's played. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, after only six points in their last game, Wilcox-Hildreth made sure to put some points up on the board against Kenesaw on Friday. The Falcons took down the Blue Devils 36-18.
Wilcox-Hildreth's win came from a few key players Elm Creek will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brody Patterson, who rushed for 111 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 carries. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up two sacks and making 15 total tackles. Thomas Donley also helped out with an impressive 115 receiving yards.
Wilcox-Hildreth's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB four times. The heavy lifting was done by Patterson and Donley, who racked up all four sacks between them. Donley also hauled in two receiving touchdowns, which is notable because Wilcox-Hildreth is 3-1 when he posts at least two receiving touchdowns, but 1-2 otherwise.
Wilcox-Hildreth's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-3. Those road wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.7 points over those games. As for Elm Creek, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Elm Creek has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 238.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Wilcox-Hildreth struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 187.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Elm Creek didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Wilcox-Hildreth when the teams last played back in October of 2024, but they still walked away with a 34-30 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Donley, who picked up 101 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Buffaloes still be able to contain Donley? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
