Football Game Preview: Bernalillo Spartans vs. Manzano Monarchs + Official Tickets

The Bernalillo Spartans will face off against the Manzano Monarchs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Bernalillo is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.

On Friday, Bernalillo ended up a good deal behind Taos and lost 21-7.

Bernalillo's defeat came about despite a quality game from Mario Molinar, who rushed for 119 yards on only 13 carries.

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. While two picked up at least 12 total tackles, Molinar stood above the rest. He rushed for 119 yards on only 13 carries. Bernalillo's run defense has been on the up-and-up: they allowed 3.41 yards per carry earlier this season, but they've only allowed 3.97 on average over their last five games.

Meanwhile, Manzano played a tough game on Saturday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They came up short against St. Pius X, falling 49-28. The Monarchs were down 41-20 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.

Bernalillo will need to focus on slowing down Broden Price, one of several Manzano players who made an impact when they last played. He rushed for 138 yards and one touchdown while picking up 7.7 yards per carry, and also picked up 55 receiving yards and one score. Price showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 55 yards. Another player making a difference was Bodi True, who threw for 145 yards and a pair of TDs.

Bernalillo's record now sits at 6-4. As for Manzano, their record is now 5-5.