The Father Lopez Green Wave will head out on the road to take on the Umatilla Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Father Lopez took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 54-6 win over Halifax Academy. The Green Wave pushed the score to 48-6 by the end of the third, a deficit the Knights had no chance of recovering from.
Father Lopez's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Rylan Demarsh, who rushed for 18 yards and one score, and also caught one touchdown. Macon Chesley also helped with two TDs in total.
Meanwhile, Umatilla got themselves on the board against Taylor on Friday, but Taylor never followed suit. They claimed a resounding 42-0 victory over the Wildcats. The Bulldogs' win was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.
Umatilla's win came from a few key players Father Lopez will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ray Jenkins, who threw for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only nine passes. John Brake was another key player, picking up 81 receiving yards and one score.
Umatilla's run defense was locked in: Taylor could only muster 0.4 yards per carry. The team can thank Kellen Hatcher for the heroic effort on defense: he. Umatilla didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 11.3.
Umatilla didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Brake, Isaiah Brown, and Bryce Norflee picked up one apiece. Another thorn in Taylor's side was Hatcher, who picked up a sack and made 17 total tackles (5.0 for loss).
Father Lopez's record now sits at 5-3. As for Umatilla, their record is now 9-0.
Father Lopez came up short against Umatilla in their previous meeting back in October of 2023, falling 29-24. Can the Green Wave avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
