When and Where:
4A #5 Broken Bow (10-1) at 4A #3 Heritage Hall (11-0)
November 17 (Fri) 7:00 PM
Charger Stadium

Most Recent Matchup:
This Friday's matchup between Broken Bow and Heritage Hall will be the first ever matchup between the two schools. Historically, the Chargers have competed in smaller classes (2A and 3A) while the Savages have been in larger classes (4A), contributing to the lack of meeting between the programs. It will definitely be fun to watch these two traditional powers with different yet successful histories battle it out for the first time ever on the field of play.

Player Spotlight:
Broken Bow has not had superstar player this year like Newcastle's Casey Thompson or John Marshall's Devonte Lee. However, quarterback Hunter Gray is clearly the leader of their offense. Gray struggled a bit early in the seaosn learning new head coach Glennis Ring's system, but really picked up his production down the stretch when the team needed him most. In the Savages' previous five games, he passed for 863 total yards (172.6 per) and 11 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Gray, listed at 6'7, is a much taller than a typical high school quarterback and uses the height advantage to locate open receivers over the top of opposing defenses.

Running back Junior Crain also had an inconsistent season, but came up huge in the Savages' playoff game against Cascia Hall last week. The sophomore rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown on 21 attempts. Crain is a physical runner despite his smaller frame (5'5" and 130 lbs) and if he is running the ball well on Friday, it could be a big problem for the Charger defense.

Outlook:
Heritage played a great first half against Tuttle last week, taking a commanding 42-0 lead into the break. The offense was firing on all cylinders, especially Morgan Dinwiddie, who ran for 141 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries. Billy Ross, Jr., racked up 182 total yards, most of those in the receiving game, and scored four touchdowns. Blake Adams had a huge game as well, completing 10 of 14 passes for 225 yards and four scores. The defense boasted multiple standout performances, with six players who recorded at least nine total tackles. The effort was headed by Garrett McGinnis (12 tackles and a sack) and Carson Orton (whose 2 sacks earned him the single-season record at The Hall, with 12). Grayson Wilson, Seth Meacham, Connor Keith, and Jaden McDaniel made 40 combined tackles. Heritage has easily cemented themselves as one of the best teams in all of 4A, meaning every opponent will have extra motivation to take the Chargers down on their road to the State Championship. Broken Bow is no different, as they enter this weekend's matchup with the best record and possibly the most well-rounded squad the Hall has faced all season. The key for the Chargers in this game will to find a way to score points against a tough Savage defense that has only allowed 12.6 points per game. If the Hall can put up the points, the defense will likely be able to slow down Broken Bow's offense enough to advance the Chargers to the Semifinals.

Article by Jake LeForce '19
Phots by Jake Steelman '19 / More on Flickr