Football Preview: Chugiak Mustangs vs. North Pole Patriots
The Chugiak Mustangs will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against the North Pole Patriots at 7:00 p.m. Chugiak's defense has only allowed 16.8 points per game this season, so North Pole's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Chugiak is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: Kenai Central, who was ranked 18th in their home state at the time (Chugiak was ranked 12th). Everything went Chugiak's way against Kenai Central on Saturday as Chugiak made off with a 29-7 win. The Mustangs' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Meanwhile, North Pole didn't have done well against Lathrop recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. North Pole walked away with a 28-19 victory over Lathrop. The win was familiar territory for the Patriots who have now won three matchups in a row.
Patrick Melvin had an outrageously good game as he rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns. The dominant performance gave him a new career- in rushing yards. Braiden Martin was another key player, rushing for 20 yards and a touchdown.
Martin wasn't the only one working in the rushing yards department: North Pole was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 269 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
North Pole's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Landon Ritter and Elijah Johnson. Ritter also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making two total tackles and defending a pass in addition to snagging an interception.
Chugiak's victory ended a six-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-2. As for North Pole, their win bumped their record up to 3-1.
Chugiak skirted past North Pole 33-30 when the teams last played back in September of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Chugiak 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
