Eastlake is preparing for their first district matchup of the season on Friday. They will be playing in front of their home fans against the Montwood Rams at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Eastlake took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 51-28 margin over Rio Rancho. The win was all the more spectacular given the Falcons' disadvantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 389th in Texas, while the Rams are ranked ninth in New Mexico).
Julian Williams produced another solid performance rushing for 96 yards and two TDs on only 12 carries, while also throwing for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His longest rush was for an impressive 56 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another player making a difference was Zeke Herrera, who rushed for 124 yards and one score while picking up 7.8 yards per carry.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Eastlake was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 471 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
David Estrada
| 09/18/25 vs Rio Rancho | 6 |
| 09/12/25 vs Liberty Hill | 16 |
| 09/04/25 @ Permian | 10 |
| 08/28/25 vs Bel Air | 11 |
Eastlake didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut David Estrada. Estrada is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least six every time he's taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, Montwood was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat dating back to last season. They took a blow against Midland, falling 70-35. On the bright side, the 35- point effort marked the Rams' highest-scoring game to date.
Eastlake will have to contain Damian Briano as he made an impact in Montwood's last game. He threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed for 92 yards and one TD on only 11 carries. That rushing touchdown was Briano's first of the season. Adrian Cortinas was Briano's top target, picking up 34 receiving yards and three scores.
Eastlake pushed their record up to 2-2 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 46.6 points over those games. As for Montwood, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.
The upcoming contest will be a clash of competing strengths. Eastlake has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 241 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Montwood has preferred to attack from the air: they average 273 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Eastlake didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Montwood in their previous matchup back in September of 2024, but they still walked away with a 36-32 victory. Do the Falcons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
