Football Game Preview: Manitou Springs Mustangs vs. La Junta Tigers

Manitou Springs is 1-8 against La Junta since October of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Mustangs will face off against the Tigers at 7:00 p.m. Manitou Springs has given up an average of 40.8 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Manitou Springs is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Florence on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Mustangs came up short against the Huskies, falling 42-17. The Mustangs were down 36-10 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.

Xavier House

Receiving Yards

10/03/25 vs Florence	88
09/06/25 @ Prospect Ridge Academy	60
08/22/25 @ Rye	41
09/19/25 vs Valley	9

Despite the defeat, Manitou Springs got top-tier performance from Dillon Gates, who rushed for 146 yards and one score. Xavier House also helped out with an impressive 88 receiving yards.

Meanwhile, La Junta earned a 21-12 victory over Lamar on Friday.

On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to La Junta's defense and their four sacks. Leading the way was Ryan Remick with three. He also set a new season-high mark in total tackles with six. Eban Morales got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Manitou Springs' loss dropped their record down to 0-5. As for La Junta, they now have a winning record of 3-2.

Manitou Springs took their win against La Junta when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 44-24 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.