Football Game Preview: Valencia Jaguars vs. Manzano Monarchs

The Valencia Jaguars will head out on the road to challenge the Manzano Monarchs at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Valencia is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Chaparral two weeks ago (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Jaguars came up short against the Lobos, falling 40-14. The Jaguars have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Although Valencia took the loss, they still got scores from Michael Storms III and Eric Rodriguez.

Meanwhile, Manzano suffered their biggest loss since August 23, 2024 on Saturday. They were dealt a 43-15 defeat at the hands of Albuquerque Academy.

Despite the loss, Manzano saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Broden Price rushed for 87 yards and one score on only ten carries, and also picked up 65 receiving yards and one TD. The bulk of those receiving yards came from one huge play: a catch that gained an incredible 60 yards.

Manzano's defeat dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Valencia, they now have a losing record of 3-4.

Valencia skirted past Manzano 22-19 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Jaguars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.