The Columbus Discoverers will challenge the Kearney Bearcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Columbus is coming into the game hot, having won their last five games.
Columbus will bounce into Friday's matchup after beating Lincoln East, who they had gone 0-3 against in their three prior meetings. The Discoverers walked away with a 28-21 victory over the Spartans on Thursday.
Columbus' win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Evvann Daniels, who rushed for 72 yards, and also caught one touchdown. Michael Voichoskie was another key back, rushing for 61 yards and a pair of TDs.
Columbus didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Lincoln East to a completion percentage of just 37%. The team can thank Xavien Lopez-Long for the heroic effort on defense: he. Columbus wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 65.2%.
Columbus didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Lopez-Long and Omar Rozikov.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Friday Kearney sidestepped Millard North for a 31-28 victory. The win continues a trend for the Bearcats in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won three in a row.
The critical scores for Kearney came from Adrick Techmeier, Cole Larsen, John Florell, and Frazier Foster.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Kearney, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Foster, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Columbus' victory bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Kearney, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Columbus took a serious blow against Kearney when the teams last played back in October of 2024, falling 43-14. That contest was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Discoverers were down 36-0.
