Football Preview: Armijo Royals vs. Fairfield Falcons
The Armijo Royals will head out on the road to square off against the Fairfield Falcons at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Armijo took a loss when they played away from home back in September, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Friday. They took their matchup at home with ease, bagging a 60-21 win over Johnson. The Royals' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Willie Nickson Lll continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 159 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries, while also throwing for 208 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 passes. His longest rush was for an impressive 50 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Armijo also got a significant boost from Cairo Williams, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 91 yards.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Armijo was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 376 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Armijo didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jayden Butcher and Davion Pickettay.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Fairfield on the road against Johnson on Friday as the team secured a 53-7 victory. That looming 53-7 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Falcons yet this season.
It was another big night for Tre?Von Moten, who rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 109 rushing yards dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Tristen Smith, who threw for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Fairfield's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB five times. The heavy lifting was done by Aaron Falekaono and Davion Johnson, who racked up four sacks between them.
The win snapped Armijo's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 2-3 record. As for Fairfield, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 3-3.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Armijo has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 184.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Fairfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 203.5. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Armijo couldn't quite finish off Fairfield in their previous matchup back in October of 2023 and fell 33-30. Can Armijo avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
