Two dominant signal callers in Gage Hedstrom and Corbin Hoefer are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The St. Mary's Cardinals are taking a road trip to challenge the Neligh-Oakdale Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in St. Mary's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
Last Friday, everything came up roses for St. Mary's at home against North Central as the team secured a 66-20 victory. The result was nothing new for the Cardinals, who have now won three contests by 40 points or more so far this season.
It was another big night for Hedstrom, who rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries, and also threw for 80 yards and two touchdowns. His longest rush was for an incredible 71 yards. Jace Rosenkrans was another key player, rushing for 68 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries.
St. Mary's didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Hedstrom, Keigan Couch, and Ben Barlow picked up one apiece. Hedstrom is also on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last four games he's played dating back to last season.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, St. Mary's was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 205 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 156 rushing yards in seven consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Neligh-Oakdale was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Friday as they fell 36-32 to Elgin/Pope John. Despite 146 more yards than the Wolfpack, the Warriors couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Despite the loss, Neligh-Oakdale saw an underclassman step up: Cooper Arehart rushed for 161 yards and four touchdowns, and also threw for 264 yards and a touchdown. With that strong performance, Arehart is now averaging an impressive 2.1 rushing touchdowns per game. 87 of those passing yards were hauled in by Tyson Blakeman.
St. Mary's now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Neligh-Oakdale, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 2-5.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. St. Mary's has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 210 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Neligh-Oakdale struggles in that department as they've been averaging 189.1. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
