Two dominant backs in Ryelan Kingston and Conner Paulsen are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Pleasanton Bulldogs will venture away from home to take on South Loup at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Pleasanton will be coming into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
Last Friday, Pleasanton took their contest at home with ease, bagging a 35-6 win over Arcadia/Loup City. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked tenth, while the Rebels are ranked 73rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Brennan Lindner, who threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. He didn't just play on offense: he also made four total tackles and defended a pass in addition to snagging an interception. Pleasanton also got a significant boost from Weston Loeffelholz, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 92 yards.
Meanwhile, in a tight matchup that could have gone either way, South Loup made off with a 25-24 victory over West Holt. The win made it back-to-back victories for South Loup.
Paulsen continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 172 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 carries, while also picking up 34 receiving yards. His longest rush was for an impressive 56 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
South Loup was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 238 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 168 rushing yards in five consecutive matches.
South Loup's defense made their presence known, laying out Lincoln Konrad. four times. Leading the way was Crew Witthuhn with three sacks.
Pleasanton pushed their record up to 5-0 with the win, which was their third straight at home. As for South Loup, their record is now 4-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Pleasanton has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 280.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like South Loup struggles in that department as they've been averaging 214.2. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Pleasanton strolled past South Loup in their previous meeting back in October of 2021 by a score of 50-32. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was South Loup's Trey Connell, who rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 77 yards and three touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for Pleasanton to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
