Two dominant signal callers in Corbin Hoefer and Taylor Nilson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Neligh-Oakdale Warriors will venture away from home to face off against the Creighton Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Neligh-Oakdale took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat North Central 62-20 at home. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Warriors considering their six-point performance the contest before.
Neligh-Oakdale found their leader in underclassman Cooper Arehart, who rushed for 48 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Hoefer, who gained 81 total yards and three touchdowns.
Neligh-Oakdale's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Arehart, Breckin Kight, and Tyson Blakeman picked up one apiece. Kight is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made five or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Creighton won against St. Mary's last Friday with 68 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. Creighton breezed by Elgin/Pope John on the road to the tune of 68-20. Winning may never get old, but the Bulldogs sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Nilson was his usual excellent self, throwing for 297 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 10.6 yards per attempt, and also rushing for 93 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries. He didn't just play on offense: he also forced a fumble, made nine total tackles (1.0 for loss), and defended a pass. Another player making a difference was Jorgan Condon, who picked up 143 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Creighton wouldn't let Elgin/Pope John keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Creighton can thank Calvin Wilmes and Nilson for forcing both of them.
The win snapped Neligh-Oakdale's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 2-3 record. As for Creighton, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Neligh-Oakdale has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 199.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Creighton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 235. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Neligh-Oakdale took a serious blow against Creighton in their previous meeting back in August of 2017, falling 94-0. Can Neligh-Oakdale avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
