Two dominant backs in Aiden Haskell and Ian Reece are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Bucklin Red Aces will square off against the Hodgeman County Longhorns at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Bucklin knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past six matches -- so hopefully Hodgeman County likes a good challenge.
Bucklin is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup last Thursday. They blew past Wheatland-Grinnell, posting a 54-6 win. Considering the Red Aces have won eight contests by more than 19 points this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Nick Feikert went supernova for Bucklin, picking up 82 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Miles Haskell got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Hodgeman County never got on the board in their matchup two weeks ago, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Norwich last Thursday. They secured a 44-38 W over the Eagles.
Hodgeman County's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Hazen Rydquist, who rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 126 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 passes. Those 81 rushing yards gave Rydquist a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Garrett Nuss, who rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
Bucklin pushed their record up to 9-0 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 33.6 points. As for Hodgeman County, their record is now 7-2.
Bucklin couldn't quite finish off Hodgeman County in their previous meeting back in September of 2023 and fell 40-38. Thankfully for Bucklin, Owen Reece (who threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
