Football Preview: Haxtun Fightin' Bulldogs vs. Akron Rams
Two dominant backs in Grant Statz and Anderson Filla are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Haxtun Fightin' Bulldogs will take on the Akron Rams at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Haxtun comes in on 11 and Akron on six.
Haxtun is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They blew past Mancos 28-8. The score was close at the half, but the Fightin' Bulldogs pulled away in the second half with 22 points.
It was another big night for Zach Statz, who picked up 62 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 43 yards. Colin Cone made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Haxtun was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 209 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 153 rushing yards in 16 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Haxtun didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Statz, Cone, and Grant picked up one apiece.
Meanwhile, Akron faced Simla in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. Akron was the clear victor by a 48-27 margin over Simla. The Rams pushed the score to 42-15 by the end of the third, a deficit the Cubs cut but never quite recovered from.
Akron's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Filla, who rushed for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Filla also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, picking up 0.5 sacks and making six total tackles (2.0 for loss). Jace Curtis was another key back, rushing for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Akron's defense and their four sacks. In that department, Caleb Poss was the leader with two.
Haxtun's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-1. Those good results were due in large part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 3.8 points per game. As for Akron, their record now sits at 11-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Haxtun has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 329 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Akron struggles in that department as they've been averaging 286.3. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Haxtun against Akron when the teams last played back in October, as the team secured a 48-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Haxtun since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
