Football Game Preview: Rocky Ford Meloneers vs. Las Animas Trojans

The Rocky Ford Meloneers will take on the Las Animas Trojans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Rocky Ford will be strutting in after a win while Las Animas will be coming in after a loss.

Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Rocky Ford turned things around against Swink on Thursday. They really took it to the Lions for the full four quarters, racking up a 40-12 victory. That looming 40-12 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Meloneers yet this season.

Meanwhile, Las Animas faced McClave in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Trojans took a blow against the Cardinals, falling 52-24. The Trojans were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 30-8.

Rocky Ford will have to keep a close watch on Jerome Ethridge and Orion Martinez, a pair of players who had a big impact on Las Animas' prior game. Ethridge picked up 85 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Martinez gained 126 total yards and a touchdown. Ethridge didn't just play on offense: he also made seven total tackles and defended one pass.

Las Animas' loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 5-2. As for Rocky Ford, their win was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 3-4.

Rocky Ford took a serious blow against Las Animas when the teams last played back in October of 2024, falling 54-16. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Martinez, who rushed for 143 yards and three TDs while picking up 7.9 yards per carry. Now that the Meloneers know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.