The McCool Junction Mustangs will take on the Centennial Broncos at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (McCool Junction has five straight victories, Centennial has nine straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
McCool Junction is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past Heartland 64-24 on Friday. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 52-8.
McCool Junction's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Carson McDonald, who rushed for 76 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only nine carries, and also threw for 100 yards and two TDs while completing 73.3% of his passes. Jaxon McDonald was another key back, rushing for 112 yards and two scores on only five carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: McCool Junction was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 271 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Heartland only rushed for 120.
McCool Junction didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. McDonald picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown. Dillon Eaton was another major factor on D, making 14 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, after soaring to 38 points the game before, Centennial was a bit more limited in their matchup on Friday. They had to suffer through an 84-8 loss at the hands of Shelby-Rising City. The Broncos were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 60-0.
Centennial's defeat dropped their record down to 0-6. As for McCool Junction, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. McCool Junction has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 226.8 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Centennial, though, as they've been averaging only 53.3 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
McCool Junction took their victory against Centennial when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 58-34 score. Will the Mustangs repeat their success, or do the Broncos have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
