Football Game Preview: Wilcox-Hildreth vs. Creek Valley

If the MaxPreps national rankings hold true, the near future looks bright for Wilcox-Hildreth. Creek Valley and Wilcox-Hildreth go head to head on Friday in their first playoff match of the year. Wilcox-Hildreth know how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past eight matchups -- so hopefully Creek Valley like a good challenge.

It's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 34-74, which was the final score in Creek Valley's tilt against Minatare last Friday. Sophomore Justin Ningen and junior Patrick Hansen were two go-getters for Creek Valley despite the defeat. The former picked up 69 yards on the ground and snatched 2 receiving TDs, while the latter passed for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns. If you haven't heard Ningen's name lately, then you haven't been paying much attention: he has loomed large in their past six games.

Meanwhile, Wilcox-Hildreth might be getting used to good results now that the squad has eight wins in a row. Everything came up roses for them against McPherson County/Stapleton as the squad secured a 44-6 win. Fans of Wilcox-Hildreth have seen this all before: every one of Wilcox-Hildreth's games this year has ended as a stomp.

Wilcox-Hildreth's victory lifted them to 8-0 while Creek Valley's loss dropped them down to 3-5. In their victory, Wilcox-Hildreth relied heavily on senior Aj Jenkins, who rushed for 179 yards and 4 touchdowns. Creek Valley will need to find a way to minimize his impact if they want to win.

Playoff bracket for these teams