The Bobcats make a 379-mile trek west to Box Elder to face Douglas this week.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT Friday at Dave Broadie Field.

Brookings (4-0) is averaging 301 rushing yards per contest.

Josh Buri is picking up 148.3 yards per game and 11.9 per carry with nine touchdowns. He’s added 100 yards on six receptions with another score.

Buri averages 206 all-purpose yards per game.

Cole McKeown contributes 65.3 rushing yards per outing with one TD. He has nine catches covering 99 yards with a pair of end zone visits.

Tyson Brandt is gaining 40.3 yards per game on the ground and has scored twice.

Quarterback Jaxon Bowes is 20-of-34 for 288 yards with four scores and four interceptions. He has two rushing TDs.

Parker Theobald leads the defense with 25 tackles. Wes Koenig and John Noordsy have added 24 stops apiece, Max Struck 17 and Brock Longville and Carter Wright both 16.

Longville has five of the team’s 18 sacks, with Noordsy and Theobald both chipping in with four.

Sam Hardin and Gavin Fixsen both have two of the team’s eight picks. Seven different ‘Cats have recovered a fumble.

Scouting the Patriots

“Douglas is a pretty athletic team,” said BHS coach Brady Clark. “They’re big up front. I don’t think they’re as fast or athletic as we are, but we’re going to come prepared and be ready to go.”

Last week

Brookings beat Madison 43-14 at home, overcoming an early 14-0 deficit. It was 16-14 at halftime.

Buri logged 193 yards on 16 rushes – a 12.1 average – with a trio of TDs while adding two catches for 48 yards.

The Bobcats (six) and Bulldogs (five) combined for 11 turnovers, with the former racking up 70 penalty yards on nine infractions. Brookings held a 282-60 advantage on the ground.

Bowes was 5-of-11 for 88 yards with three INTs.

“We’re a young team and I get that, but it’s Week 5 now and it’s time for us to start taking bigger strides and eliminating the mental mistakes,” Clark said. “That was a big con for us – just the mental errors.

“A big pro for us was our resiliency and, defensively, our ability to make a big play when we needed it. Offensively, we just need to eliminate turnovers and the mental mistakes, and we’ll be okay.”

Jaxton Eck (44 yards) and Koenig (33) had scoop-and-scores to help the home team pull away in the second half.

Brookings has outscored its first four opponents a combined 165-50.

Douglas fell 14-6 to Sturgis at home in Week 4.

The Patriots (1-3) lost their opener 55-28 to Mitchell at home. They won 47-21 at Class 11A Belle Fourche and then fell 36-0 at Huron.

Last year

Brookings beat Douglas 49-0 on Sept. 27 and 52-13 in the Class 11AA quarterfinals on Halloween. Both games were played at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

Biggest key

OFFENSE

“I know I sound like a broken record, but we have to be able to control the line of scrimmage,” noted Clark.

DEFENSE

“Just communication and not missing tackles and forcing turnovers,” added Clark.