The McCool Junction Mustangs will square off against the Shelby-Rising City Huskies at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Shelby-Rising City is hoping to do what Centennial couldn't on Friday: put an end to McCool Junction's winning streak, which now stands at three games. McCool Junction blew past Centennial 58-34.
McCool Junction's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Carson Mcdonald, who rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns, and also threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns while completing 81.8% of his passes. Mcdonald's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 118 rushing yards dating back to last season. Bryson Plock was another key player, gaining 207 total yards and four touchdowns.
Another reason for the win was McCool Junction's imposing defensive line, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Dillon Eaton and Mapieu Kouchinin, who racked up five sacks between them. Eaton also set a new season high mark in total tackles with 19.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, McCool Junction was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 216 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 216 rushing yards in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Shelby-Rising City entered their tilt with Mead on Friday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They blew past the Raiders 52-6 at home. Given the Huskies' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 16th, while the Raiders are ranked 113th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Shelby-Rising City found their leader in underclassman Carter Eickmeier, who rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.2 yards per carry. Another player making a difference was Jett Vrbka, who rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries.
McCool Junction's victory bumped their record up to 5-2. As for Shelby-Rising City, they pushed their record up to 6-1 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. McCool Junction has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 286.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Shelby-Rising City struggles in that department as they've been averaging 256.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
