GotW preview: Hillcrest to open new stadium with ‘Civil War’ against Bonneville
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GAME OF THE WEEK
Bonneville at Hillcrest, Friday, 7 p.m.
It’s been some time in the making, but Hillcrest finally has a true “home” game on its schedule as the Knights debut their new stadium in a conference matchup with Bonneville.
But this isn’t just a regular conference matchup. The “Civil War” rivalry is the one game that gets circled on each team’s calendar.
This one has been a bit one-sided in the past decade, with Hillcrest winning seven straight games through 2020. Bonneville broke through in 2021 with a 14-11 win as the Knights endured an 0-9 season. Hillcrest has won the past two matchups, claiming a 16-14 thriller in 2022 and rolling past the Bees 42-6 last year on the way to the conference title and a state championship game appearance.
Keys to the game: So what does that mean for 2024?
Both teams are searching for their first win of the season after the Knights lost 41-24 last week in their season opener at Madison.
Bonneville also has a loss at Madison and fell 28-20 to defending state champion Bishop Kelly last week.
That’s a tough opening part of the schedule for the Bees and it won’t get any easier against Hillcrest.
The Knights (0-1) have plenty of new players looking to define their roles after graduating more than 30 seniors off of last year’s team. If one game is any indication, this year’s squad may be more passing oriented after Tyson Sweetwood finished 26-for-51 for 285 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to Madison. Receiver Jace Judy had 10 catches for 102 yards and two scores. The Knights however did not score a rushing touchdown.
The Bees (0-2) are working to improve their offensive production under first-year head coach Shane Stephenson.
Stephenson said prior to the season that quarterbacks Eli Hamilton and Brock Faulkner would be competing for the starting spot. Both have played in the first two games with Faulkner throwing three touchdown passes last week against Bishop Kelly. The Bees have yet to score a rushing touchdown.
It’s never too early to talk about playoff positioning and with a competitive conference, every win and loss is crucial. Add that to the list for this intriguing matchup.