The Sumner-Eddyville-Miller Mustangs will challenge the Wallace Wildcats at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Sumner-Eddyville-Miller has given up an average of 28.9 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Southwest just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They were beaten by the Roughriders 65-30. While losing is never fun, the Mustangs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 27th, while the Roughriders are ranked first).
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Chance Daake, who threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.0 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 42 yards and one score. Another player making a difference was Jordan Scoville, who picked up 189 receiving yards and one TD.
Meanwhile, Wallace had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 28 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They blew past the Broncos 60-20. Considering the Wildcats have won four contests by more than 33 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Wallace's win came from a few key players Sumner-Eddyville-Miller will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ashtin Johns, who rushed for 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only eight carries. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, forcing one fumble and making 12 total tackles. Ivan Aceves was another key back, rushing for 66 yards and a pair of scores on only seven carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Wallace was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 283 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 172 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Wallace, racking up 12 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Tyson Sullivan, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller's loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 5-2. As for Wallace, their victory bumped their record up to 6-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Sumner-Eddyville-Miller has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 174.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Wallace struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 322 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller took their win against Wallace in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 64-39 score. Will the Mustangs repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
