Football Preview: Snowflake Lobos vs. Gilbert Tigers
The Snowflake Lobos will square off against the Gilbert Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Snowflake will be looking to keep their seven-game home win streak dating back to last season alive.
Snowflake's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed two weeks ago. They blew past Show Low, posting a 42-0 victory on the road. Given the Lobos' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona football rankings (they are ranked 29th, while the Cougars are ranked 124th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Snowflake's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jacob LaDuke, who rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on only five carries, and also threw for 103 yards and a touchdown while completing 72.7% of his passes. Karter Raban was another key back, rushing for 69 yards and two touchdowns.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Snowflake was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 247 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 155 rushing yards in six consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Gilbert had to endure a five-game losing streak dating back to last season, but that streak is no more. They took their match on the road on Friday with ease, bagging a 45-15 win over Mesquite. The Tigers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Snowflake's victory bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Gilbert, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Snowflake has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 238.7 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Gilbert, though, as they've been averaging only 59.5. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything came up roses for Snowflake against Gilbert in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 36-7 victory. Does Snowflake have another victory up their sleeve, or will Gilbert turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
