Football Preview: Van Vleck Leopards vs. Rice Consolidated Raiders
Two dominant backs in Corey Austin and Dyren Johnson are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Van Vleck Leopards will be playing in front of their home fans against the Rice Consolidated Raiders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Van Vleck is out to stop a five-game streak of losses at home dating back to last season.
Last Friday, Van Vleck came up short against Tidehaven and fell 21-14.
Van Vleck might have lost, but man, Austin was a machine: he rushed for 233 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 9.3 yards per carry. Austin is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 131 every time he's taken the field this season.
Even though they lost, Van Vleck was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 293 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 227 rushing yards in nine consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Rice Consolidated entered their game against Tidehaven on Friday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. Rice Consolidated took a hard 49-33 fall against Tidehaven. The Raiders have been going strong on the season, but this is now their second defeat in a row.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Kor'Dae Johnson, who threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 45 yards. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in September. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Isaiah Castillo, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Van Vleck's loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 3-5. As for Rice Consolidated, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-3.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Van Vleck has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 321.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Rice Consolidated struggles in that department as they've been averaging 163.9. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Van Vleck beat Rice Consolidated 42-35 in their previous meeting back in October of 2023. Does Van Vleck have another victory up their sleeve, or will Rice Consolidated turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
