Football Game Preview: Mesa Verde Mavericks vs. Rio Vista Rams + Official Tickets

The Mesa Verde Mavericks will venture away from home to take on the Rio Vista Rams at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Mesa Verde is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Woodland Christian on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Mavericks took a blow against the Cardinals, falling 42-8. The Mavericks were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 28-0.

Meanwhile, Rio Vista entered their tilt with Esparto on Friday with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They really took it to the Spartans for the full four quarters, racking up a 49-6 victory. The matchup was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Rams had established a 36-point advantage.

Rio Vista's win came from a few key players Mesa Verde will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Emmett Medders, who threw for 136 yards and three TDs, and also punched in one score on the ground. Those three passing touchdowns gave him a new career-high. Ethan Friedel helped Medders out on the ground, rushing for 77 yards and one touchdown on only eight carries, while also picking up 50 receiving yards and one TD.

Rio Vista was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 297 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 177 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.

Mesa Verde's defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-3. As for Rio Vista, their win bumped their record up to 4-2.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Mesa Verde has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 180.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Rio Vista struggles in that department as they've been averaging 292.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Everything went Mesa Verde's way against Rio Vista when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as Mesa Verde made off with a 37-14 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mavericks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.