Flag Football Game Preview: Merced Bears vs. Whitney Wildcats + Official Tickets

The Merced Bears will challenge the Whitney Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Merced is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Grant 46-0. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Bears' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California flag football rankings (they are ranked 50th, while the Pacers are ranked 198th).

Merced didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Samantha Barragan and Averie Steverson.

Meanwhile, Whitney came tearing into Wednesday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 23.3 points), and they left with even more momentum. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 50-13 win over the Rams. Whitney's victory was all the more impressive since the Rams were averaging only 13.12 points allowed on the season.

Merced better keep an eye on Lulu Im. She was instrumental in Whitney's win, throwing for 331 yards and four TDs while completing 72.4% of her passes, and also punching in one touchdown on the ground. What's more, Im racked up 120.8 passer rating, the most she's had since October 3rd.

One reason for the win was Whitney's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for eight sacks. Leading the way was Kayla Mougeotte with five. She has been hot for a while, having posted at least one sack the last 14 times she's played. Sofia George got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Whitney's win bumped their record up to 16-6. As for Merced, their victory bumped their record up to 22-4.