Preview: Manitou Springs Mustangs vs. Lamar Thunder
Manitou Springs and Lamar are an even 4-4 against one another since October of 2014, but not for long. The Manitou Springs Mustangs will head out on the road to face off against the Lamar Thunder at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with four consecutive losses for Manitou Springs and five for Lamar.
Last Thursday, Manitou Springs was the victim of a rough 40-14 defeat at the hands of La Junta. Manitou Springs was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 40-0.
Despite their loss, Manitou Springs saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Nate Gentzel, who punched in a rushing score, and also threw for 181 yards and a touchdown, was perhaps the best of all.
Meanwhile, Lamar had to suffer through a rough 49-13 loss at the hands of Woodland Park. The last quarter was a mere formality, since the game's final score was reached by the end of the third quarter.
Manitou Springs' defeat was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their overall record down to 3-5. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 16.0 points per game. As for Lamar, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.
Manitou Springs was taken down by Lamar 33-6 in their previous meeting back in October of 2022. Thankfully for Manitou Springs, Brendan Sneller (who picked up 114 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
