Football Recap: Fernando Rivera and Hayden Hall Pace Hoopeston/Armstrong Defense

Hoopeston/Armstrong extended their losing streak to four on Friday, dropping them down to 0-4. They came up short against the Momence Momence Athletics, falling 43-22. Hoopeston/Armstrong was not able to make up for their defeat to Momence from their previous meeting back in September of 2024.

Despite the loss, Hoopeston/Armstrong still got an impressive performance from Nicholas Cardenas, who rushed for 99 yards and two scores, and also threw for five yards and one touchdown.

Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 3.1 yards per carry. The team can thank RaSiah Jones for the heroic effort on defense: he. Hoopeston/Armstrong's ground attack was stronger, having averaged 4.4.

Hoopeston/Armstrong didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Fernando Rivera and Hayden Hall.

Momence's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-3. Their offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Erick Castillo had another great game (as he tends to do), throwing for 372 yards and four TDs while picking up 11.6 yards per attempt, and also rushing for 42 yards and one touchdown. He also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, forcing one fumble and making three total tackles (1.0 for loss) in addition to snagging an interception. Jayden Dau was Castillo's top target, picking up 152 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

We've got plenty of inter-conference action coming up soon. Hoopeston/Armstrong will face off against rival Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Chrisman at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Meanwhile, Momence is set to challenge their familiar foe Iroquois West at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.