Location: Durant

Date: October 18, 2024

Time: 7:15pm CDT

Game Notes

DURANT is playing for pride and for a victory against a team whom they have not beaten since 1986 (a 22-20 W). The Wildcats are, perhaps, the youngest team in Class 1A, District 5. A vast majority of their statistical leaders are underclassmen. Freshman QB Cannon Davis has thrown for just shy of 600 yards. Junior RB has rushed for nearly 380. Junior WR leads the receiving corps with 328 yards. Bryce Daufeldt, a senior, leads the team in tackles. The talented LB averages nearly 8 stops per game. Wildcat pride is a real thing. They are wanting to replicate the success of recent years. Nolan DeLong was a generational talent…for any school. McKinley may not be as statistically proficient, but the kid has the same hard running style. 

WEST BRANCH needs to find a win to punch its ticket into the 2024 Class 1A playoffs (we will talk scenarios below). A season that has been riddled with injury and “what could be” is the storyline in SW Cedar County. The Bears have played right there with some of the better teams in the class. There have been many bright spots for the squad. Perhaps, none more bright than RB/LB Cooper Gates. A tough running, hard hitting bowling ball of a player, he leads the Bears with 7.5 QB sacks. That total currently ranks second in all of 1A. At times, he has been unblockable (see Regina film from week 6). The offensive line has been a MASH 4077 unit. Injuries have hit the position hard…which isn't a great proposition considering it's THE most important part of a football team. Former WR/TE Lincoln Nabor (6'3, 210) has taken off his 42 and put on a 69 jersey to fill in. 

KEEP AN EYE ON #5 McKinley. He is a (if not THE) focal point of the Wildcat attack. A tough running kid, he will not shy away from contact or competition.

PLAYOFFS….PLAYOFFS?? Insert the Jim Mora gif/meme/video of choice. As stated above. if the Bears win on Friday, they will play in their 17th consecutive postseason. Should the Bears lose, and Cascade loses, it would also qualify the Bears for an extra game. If the Bears lose, and Cascade wins, the Bears' season would be over. 

VERY SPECIAL TEAMS Junior punter Nolan Staker took over duties in week 6. He has placed no less than five punts inside the 15 yard line, flipping the field for the Bear defense. Kicker Reese Gingerich has five touchbacks, including three in a game against Cascade earlier this season. The Bears have blocked or partially blocked four punts this season, including two by Tate Frantz in one game (and an 8 yard return for TD on one of them). 

Go Bears!

Team Records & Rankings

Durant is 1-6 this season and is unranked. West Branch is 2-5 and is also not ranked.

Last Meeting

In 2023, West Branch defeated Durant 42-0 in West Branch. View more from that game.

Media & Broadcast Coverage

The BearCast will be streaming the game live. You can listen to the game via our Mixlr channel. The stream goes live 20 minutes before kickoff. Learn more about the BearCast.