Newton set for homecoming clash with Maize South
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Newton set for homecoming clash with Maize South
The Mavericks have never lost to the Railers.
The Newton High School football team will celebrate homecoming on Friday night when it hosts AVCTL-I foe Maize South (2-1) at Fischer Field Stadium.
Fresh off a historic win over Maize, the Railers (1-2) will meet a Mavericks squad that is looking to bounce back from its first loss in 2023 — a 28-23 result against Hutchinson — that dropped them out of the 5A media poll.
“They’re gonna throw the ball around,” Newton head coach Greg Slade said on this week’s Railer Report Coach’s Show. “We saw a lot of that last week. … But we’ve gotta be good, we’ve gotta be sound, and we’ve gotta help our defense out and control the ball offensively.”
Here’s everything you need to know for this week’s homecoming clash.
Location: Fischer Field Stadium at Athletic Park
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Weather: 82 degrees. Mostly sunny. 0% chance of rain.
Spread (via the Esch Index): Maize South (-6)
What’s at stake?
With a win, Newton would tally its first-ever victory over Maize South and first back-to-back wins in the first half of a regular season since 2013. In just their second trip to Fischer Field Stadium in their history, the Mavericks would improve to 3-1 or better for the fifth consecutive season with a win.
Key matchup
Prior to last week’s win for Newton, I wrote how the game’s competitiveness would hinge on its defense. While that remains true, as Slade pointed out on the Coach’s Show, the pressure will be on the Railer offense to give its defense time to rest and adjust between drives against a Maize South offense that’s led by a highly talented and experienced quarterback. Expect passing only on 2nd- and 3rd-and-long only as Newton will do all it can to establish the running game that carried it to victory a week ago.
Players to watch
Newton: WR Cole Dillon. The sophomore saw himself burst onto the scene for this Railer offense last week, helping his team put Maize away with a second-half 20-yard touchdown run. Slade said he brings a “different speed.”
Maize South: QB Tate McNew. The junior served as the full-time signal caller for the Mavericks in 2022, playing in nine games after starting/appearing in several as a freshman in 2021. The Maize South offense goes as he goes.
Facts and figures
Heading into their fourth all-time matchup on the gridiron, Newton is 0-3 overall and 0-1 at home against Maize South. … This season, the Railers are averaging 10.67 points per game, while the Mavericks are averaging 40 points per game. … Defensively, Newton is allowing 29 points per game. Maize South is allowing 20.67 points per game. … The average score between these two teams in their three contests is 44-16 in favor of Maize South.
Esch Index projection: Maize South 34, Newton 28
Brett is a Communication Arts major at Bethel College, Editor-in-Chief of The Bethel Collegian, and Newton (KS) High School football beat writer. You can reach him via email and follow him on X.