Smoky Valley has gone 7-1 against Hillsboro recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Smoky Valley Vikings and the Hillsboro Trojans are set to duel. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.
Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Smoky Valley finally turned things around against Nickerson on Friday. They put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 36-13 win. The high-scoring effort was just what the Vikings needed considering they were shutout in their previous matchup.
Smoky Valley's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Gavin Stambaugh, who rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.0 yards per carry. The team also got some help courtesy of Ezekiel Baker, who rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Smoky Valley wouldn't let Nickerson keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force four fumbles. Jack Opat led the group effort, picking up two of those forced fumbles all by himself. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in rushing yards.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Smoky Valley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 387 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Hillsboro got themselves on the board against Lyons on Friday, but Lyons never followed suit. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Lions 32-0 on the road. That looming 32-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Trojans yet this season.
Smoky Valley's win bumped their record up to 2-5. As for Hillsboro, their victory bumped their record up to 3-4.
Smoky Valley might still be hurting after the 43-22 loss they got from Hillsboro when the teams last played back in October of 2023. Can Smoky Valley 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
