Preview: Santa Maria Saints vs. Caruthers Blue Raiders
The Santa Maria Saints will head out on the road to face off against the Caruthers Blue Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the pair posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Santa Maria can now show off three landslide victories after their most recent match two weeks ago. They put the hurt on Pioneer Valley with a sharp 32-7 win.
Among those leading the charge was Aldo Araiza, who rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown. Araiza hasn't dropped below 100 rushing yards for three straight games. Another player making a difference was Josue Elena, who threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Caruthers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 37-35 victory over Fowler on Friday.
Hunter Babb continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 251 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 8.4 yards per carry. Babb is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last ten games he's played.
Santa Maria's win was their third straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 5-5. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 37.3 points per game. As for Caruthers, their win bumped their record up to 7-3.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Santa Maria has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 148.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Caruthers struggles in that department as they've been even better at 423 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
