ACCIDENT — Northern hosts a struggling Hancock team tonight at Half-Mile High Stadium in Thursday night football action.
Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m.
The Huskies (3-2) routed Hampshire (2-4), 39-0, last week to get back over .500. Hancock (0-4) played its tightest contest of the season, a 38-26 defeat to Clay Battelle.
Because Southern canceled the remainder of its varsity season and will reward Northern with a forfeit win in Week 9, a victory tonight will ensure Northern will finish above .500 in the regular season for the first time since 2019 when it ended 8-1.
Hancock, the smallest public high school in the state, has lost 20 of 21 games since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Northern is averaging 23.6 points per game and allows 16.2 per contest. The Huskies average 201.6 rushing yards a night.
Senior Kyle Broadwater is the team’s leading rusher with 75 carries for 494 yards and six touchdowns. Senior fullback Jared Graham has 284 yards and five scores on 52 rushes.
Quarterback Liam Stewart, a junior, has completed 20 of 37 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, adding a rushing score. Junior Luke Ross is his top receiving target, catching 13 passes for 190 yards and two TDs.
The Huskies leading tacklers are junior Nick Riley (30), senior Ryan Bolyard (27) and senior Abe Schilpp (22). Schilpp has a team-high two sacks.
Northern is 18-1 against Hancock all-time. Hancock’s lone triumph in the series was on Nov. 11, 1995, when the Huskies fell 12-6 at home.
It’s the teams’ first meeting since Oct. 5, 2012 — a 41-0 Northern home rout.
Hancock has been outscored by its four opponents 187-46 so far this season.