Emporia High football hits the road Friday night for a Centennial League matchup with Washburn Rural.
The Spartans enter Week Five at 2-2 overall and 0-1 in league play following a 32-6 loss to Junction City last Friday. Washburn Rural is also 2-2, but the Junior Blues are 1-0 in the Centennial League after knocking off Topeka 34-7 last week.
Washburn Rural got the best of Emporia in last year’s meeting, scoring 28 points in the third quarter on the way to a 35-0 victory. The Spartans have not defeated the Junior Blues since 2019.
Emporia head coach Daniel Goodman expects Washburn Rural to lean heavily on the running game, led by Jadyn Baum.
Senior Ben Collins continues to be a key two-way contributor for the Black and Red. Collins leads the team in rushing, tackles and sacks, and he says Emporia will need to be more physical than Washburn Rural.
Turnovers will also be a major point of emphasis for the Spartans. Emporia lost the turnover battle 3-0 against Junction City, something Goodman has stressed with his team heading into Friday’s matchup.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Washburn Rural. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. with the RV Doc Pregame on AM 1400 and 96.9 FM KVOE.
