The Hill City Ringnecks will square off against the LaCrosse Leopards at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Hill City's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last seven contests.
Hill City is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Kansas' top teams: Decatur Community, who was ranked 19th at the time (Hill City was ranked fourth). The Ringnecks breezed past the Red Devils to the tune of 46-0 on Friday. Considering the Ringnecks have won seven games by more than 35 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Hill City had a senior duo take command as Tate Balthazor rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 7.4 yards per carry and Tyler Ashbaugh gained 145 total yards and two touchdowns.
Hill City was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 255 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 153 rushing yards in 13 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for LaCrosse, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They blew past Ness City 52-6 on Friday. That looming 52-6 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Leopards yet this season.
Hill City pushed their record up to 7-1 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 8.7 points on average over those games. As for LaCrosse, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
Everything came up roses for Hill City against LaCrosse in their previous meeting back in November of 2021, as the team secured a 62-12 win. In that contest, the Ringnecks amassed a halftime lead of 36-12, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Thursday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
