Two dominant backs in Carter Perez and Ryan Estrada are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Parkland Matadors will head out to challenge the El Dorado Aztecs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 862 yards in their previous games.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Parkland turned things around against Bel Air on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 42-21 margin over the Highlanders. The Matadors not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since November 1, 2024 (when they won 48-14).
Jesse Molina
| 09/26/25 @ Americas | 129.2 |
| 10/03/25 vs Bel Air | 120.6 |
| 09/05/25 vs Riverside | 108.3 |
| 09/12/25 vs Hobbs | 93.3 |
| 08/29/25 @ Ysleta | 60.4 |
| + 1 more games |
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Parkland to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jesse Molina, who threw for 161 yards and three TDs. Molina's passing game has become a key predictor of the Matadors' success: the team is 2-1 when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 0-3 otherwise. Jamal Rocha was in the mix too, providing Parkland with two touchdowns.
Parkland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 288 rushing yards. They are 2-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Meanwhile, El Dorado beat Americas 28-20 on Friday. The victory continues a trend for the Aztecs in their matchups with the Trail Blazers: they've now won three in a row.
The match pitted two dominant backs against one another in Estrada and Camron Johnson. Estrada had a great game and rushed for 244 yards and three scores while picking up 12.2 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Johnson was balling out in the loss, rushing for 176 yards and a pair of TDs on only 12 carries.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to El Dorado's defense and their three sacks. In that department, Adrian Olivas was the leader with two. El Dorado got some further help from Matthew Pinto: he made 13 total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended two passes.
Parkland's record now sits at 2-4. As for El Dorado, their record is now 5-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Parkland has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 229.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like El Dorado struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 245 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Parkland was taken down by El Dorado 68-21 when the teams last played back in November of 2024. Can the Matadors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
