SportsZone Football Friday Game of the Week Preview: Francis Howell at Rock Bridge

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Rock Bridge has reached its regular season finale.

The Bruins (4-4) are preparing to host Francis Howell (5-3) in Week 9 of the high school football season, focused on building some momentum ahead of the playoffs.

The Vikings and Bruins are our SportsZone Football Friday Game of the Week. You can watch the game live over the air channel 17.3 on KZOU. Here is a look at other local listings:

• DirecTV - Channel 18
• Dish Network - Channel 32
• Mediacom - Channel 12 & 709
• Centurylink - Channel 12
• Spectrum - Channel 183

Entering Friday's game, Rock Bridge is navigating some unfamiliar territory. The Bruins have won just four of their first eight games this season for the first time since 2021, following their three-point loss to Hickman in Week 8. The Kewpies drilled a game-winning field goal in the final seconds to earn their first win over Rock Bridge in 13 years, holding the Bruins to their second-fewest points scored (10) in a game this year. Despite the defeat, the team is concentrated on tackling adversity with the right mentality.

"There are probably a lot of different mindsets going around. My mindset is trying to be consistent in trying to win today. Hopefully, that's the case with our program. It's a challenge, right? We're not where we've been in a while. We haven't been 4-4 since I've been here, and so, nobody in this program has been 4-4. It kind of calls into question a lot of things. You start asking, are we doing things right? I'm asking those questions. Players are asking those questions. The community is asking those questions," head coach Matt Perkins said. "But, everything's in front of us. You got to be able to sift through that. You got to be able to handle it the right way and be all about Rock Bridge, and that's my job... Because of our great defense, because of our really good offensive line, I feel like we have a chance to be successful as we close this thing out."

Rock Bridge's battle with Francis Howell represents the team's last opportunity to bolster its seeding for the Class 6 District 6 Tournament. Currently, the Bruins are the No. 5-seed in their five-team bracket, setting up a road trip to Blue Springs in the district quarterfinals. However, Rock Bridge is only 2.14 points behind the Wildcats in the district standings, so Friday's regular season finale could still have postseason implications. Regardless, the Bruins recognize this game as an excellent opportunity to regain their confidence.

"With every slip up, every missed block, every incomplete catch, every punt that we have to make, there's more and more doubt that creeps in, right? So, you really want to try to get that eliminated. I don't know that we've beaten an opponent this year with a winning record, and so, this would be our chance to do that and show ourselves that we belong in a discussion of being a good team," Perkins said. "I believe it because of the way we've lost our games, how close we are... I think we're close to being where we need to be, but it would be really valuable for us to show it to ourselves this Friday night."

Coach Perkins and his team are ready to conquer the tough task ahead of them. Francis Howell has won five of its eight games this season, highlighted by a 21-point win over Ft. Zumwalt North (7-1) and a 12-point victory at Ft. Zumwalt West (5-3). However, the Vikings carry a 2-3 overall record against teams with four wins or more.

Francis Howell's offense is averaging nearly 30 points per game, but Rock Bridge's defense is limiting teams to 13 points per outing, making this a matchup to watch on Friday night.

"They've got a really good running back. They've got a couple of receivers that can take the top off. I think their D-line is really physical. They've got an H-back that they use in a lot of really good ways to kind of help move the pocket and help the quarterback be successful. They're a really good team. They're very physical up front," Perkins said.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Rock Bridge High School.