The Mustang Broncos hit the road to take on the Edmond North Huskies tonight at Husky Stadium in a game that will impact the postseason outlook for both teams.
The Broncos (4-4, 1-4) are reeling – entering the game on a four-game losing streak which includes losses to Owasso, Union, Edmond Santa Fe, and Norman. A win is needed in more ways than one for Lee Blankenship’s young squad, but most importantly, a victory would increase the team’s odds of locking up a Class 6A-1 playoff spot.
The Huskies (3-5, 2-3), who currently sit in fifth place in District 2, snapped a three-game losing streak last week with a 49-34 road win over the Yukon Millers. They had lost consecutive games to Norman, Edmond Santa Fe, and Owasso before picking up their second district victory. They beat Edmond Memorial 56-35 in Week 3 for their first.
Let’s dive into the matchup and how a Mustang win affects the district standings.
- WHO: Mustang Broncos (4-4, 1-4) vs Edmond North Huskies (3-5, 2-3)
- WHEN: Tonight at 7 p.m.
- WHERE: Husky Stadium in Edmond
- LAST WEEK (MUS): Norman 27, Mustang 19
- LAST WEEK (EN): Edmond North 49, Yukon 34
- LAST MATCHUP: Mustang 56, Edmond North 17 (2022)
- 2022 RECORDS: Mustang (8-3), Edmond North (3-8)
- WATCH LIVE: Watch live at www.MHSBroncoSports.TV
- LISTEN LIVE: 99.7 The Wolf
PLAYOFF POSITIONING
It’s simple. With a win over the Huskies, Mustang would likely move into fifth place in the district. That is if Edmond Memorial loses to Union on Friday, which should be the case. No offense to the Bulldogs.
Mustang and Edmond Memorial square off in Week 10, where, even with a loss this week to Edmond North, the Broncos could again nab a playoff spot. It would be the sixth seed, which Memorial currently owns.
HUSKIES GROUND AND POUND
The Huskies are a team that looks to keep the ball on the ground and beat teams with their rushing attack.
Against Yukon last week, North rushed 49 times for 393 yards while passing just 10 times. The Huskies passed just 21 times vs Owasso in Week 6 while rushing 31 times.
Dev Matthews is the team leader with 817 rushing yards on 92 carries (MaxPreps). He has rushed for 14 of the team’s 17 touchdowns.
Quarterback Pryce Bender has only completed 47-percent of his passes this season but has passed for 10 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He isn’t much of a runner as he only has 14 yards on the ground.
MUSTANG DEFENSE WITHOUT WARREN
The Broncos lost senior safety Zach Warren last week to a season-ending leg injury.
Not only is it a big blow for Warren, who has garnered attention from teams at the next level, including Oklahoma State, it’s also a huge blow for the Broncos. He has 84 total tackles on the season with an interception and has been a stalwart in the team’s secondary for two years.
It will be interesting to see who fills the safety role going forward for Waleed Gaines’ unit and what adjustments are in store from the defensive coordinator without one of his unquestioned leaders.
MUSTANG OFFENSE
The Broncos looked just fine in the first half of last week’s loss to Norman, outside of settling for four Aiden Jordan field goals on five trips to the red zone.
The second half was a different story as the Broncos possessed the ball just three times and only neared scoring position on their final drive.
Freshman quarterback Tyson Pogi made his first start, however, senior Jake Blice finished the game. Blice drove the team down the field for a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. The drive came up short, but it was the only offensive rhythm the Broncos produced over the final 24 minutes.
What does Blankenship and offensive coordinator Cody McDaniel have in store for the Huskies? We’ll have to find out on Friday, but there is a chance we once again see both signal callers.
PREDICTION: MUSTANG 24, EDMOND NORTH 21
This will be a close contest as both teams are playing for their playoff lives.
Look for senior running back Bryance Sanders to have a big game after nearly going for 100 yards against Norman. If the team is forced to lean on its rushing attack, Sanders is the perfect player to lead the way.
Jordan will once again play a major factor. The junior kicker is a weapon, allowing the Broncos to pick and choose when to go for it on fourth down in scoring territory, with full confidence in settling for three if needed.
