Seventh-ranked (Class 3A) Webster City (3-0) will step on foreign soil for the first time this season tonight when it makes the familiar trek to Humboldt to take on the Wildcats (3-0) at 7 p.m.

But while both teams have perfectly navigated the early-season terrain, WCHS should be more battle tested. The Lynx own victories over three teams — Spencer, Carroll and Ballard — that are a combined 6-3. Humboldt’s three victims — Algona, Storm Lake and Boone — are a combined 1-8.

What does that mean? WCHS head coach Bob Howard doesn’t put much weight behind it while the season is still less than a month old.

“We thought they would all be good games and be good competition, and they’ve turned out to be that way,” he said of the Lynx initial three games. “As far as how significant that is, I don’t know. They’ve all done well in their other games, so it certainly gets you more ready playing good teams.”

WCHS sophomore wingback CJ Hisler races around the end on a counter against Spencer last month. Hisler has rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns this season. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

WCHS sailed through wins over Spencer and Carroll, 21-7 and 55-0 respectively, but was tested seven days ago. The Lynx trailed Ballard for much of the contest, but dominated the fourth quarter and scored the go-ahead touchdown and two-point conversion with just over three minutes remaining.

There were mistakes, Howard concedes that. But WCHS never waved the white flag and made the appropriate corrections, particularly on offense, when the game was on the line.

“We made a lot of mistakes on the offensive line early in the game,” he said. “The good news was they listened and fixed them in the fourth quarter.

“We hung in there and we had a lot of different kids come through.”

The WCHS offense will look to find its rhythm against a Humboldt club that has allowed just seven points in its last two games. But the Wildcats will have to be better than they were a season ago in a 27-21 loss to the Lynx, a contest in which senior tailback Trey Mathis rushed for a career-high 306 yards and four touchdowns.

Mathis enters tonight’s tussle with a 3A District2-leading 398 yards, but he’s been held relatively in check in two of the Lynx three games. Defensive schemes have been put in place to try to neutralize him, which has opened the door for spinback Chase Rattenborg to run through. Rattenborg has rushed for 310 yards through three games.

Howard doesn’t expect Humboldt to alter its defense much for previous seasons, but he says WCHS will be ready to adapt if it’s needed.

“If they want to distort the defense enough to take Mathis out of it, it opens up a lot of other things,” Howard said. “I think we can do a lot of things with the wingback (CJ Hisler) and obviously Chase can run the ball. But if we don’t block at the point of attack better than last week, it won’t matter much. But I think we will.”

Junior quarterback Caden Matson orchestrates the Humboldt offense and he’s been a handful that no opponent has been able to contain up to this point this fall. He leads the district in total touchdowns (12), as well as rushing (7) and passing (5) scores. His 890 all-purpose yards includes 417 through the air, and he’s completed 28 of 41 passes.

“He’s a good athlete. He’s fast and he’s got decent size,” Howard said of Matson. “He’s had lots of long runs on quarterback keeps off power plays, and he throws the ball well. They’ve got a nice scheme and they have a lot of size, but everybody is going to be bigger than us.”

Matson ranks second in the district in rushing yards (349) behind Mathis. Gabe Gidel is his top target on the perimeter with 13 receptions for 208 yards and four TDs.

But Matson has certainly not seen a defense like what WCHS will put on the field. The unit as allowed only seven points in three games, the best in 3A, and has allowed just one play of more than 20 yards. No opponent has rushed for 100 yards against WCHS yet this season.

Mathis, who doubles as a linebacker, leads the team with 15 tackles. Defensive end Jamin Stuhr has 131⁄2.

More than facing a talented offense, Howard says his defense will be energized simply because of the opponent.

“The fact that Humboldt is a conference rival is a significant thing,” he said. “They see them in basketball and baseball and wrestling … that makes it a little more interesting and higher intensity too.”

Tonight: Webster City at Humboldt

Where: Humboldt.

Time: 7 p.m.

Records: Webster City 3-0, Humboldt 3-0.

Last year: Webster City beat the Wildcats, 27-21.