The Medina Valley Panthers will challenge the Harlingen Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Medina Valley is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 56-0 victory over Canyon. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won five contests by 21 points or more so far this season.
Xavier Gonzalez had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 108 yards on only nine carries, while also throwing for 48 yards and one touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Medina Valley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 486 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 190 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Harlingen). They blew past La Joya 58-20 on Thursday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cardinals.
Medina Valley better focus on containing Hassan Woolery and Noah Huerta as the pair were huge in Harlingen's win. Woolery threw for 268 yards and three TDs on only 17 passes, while Huerta rushed for 132 yards and a pair of scores on only 12 carries. Woolery's passing game has become a key predictor of Harlingen's success: the team is 3-1 when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 2-5 otherwise. Maddox Hernandez was Woolery's top target, picking up 102 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Harlingen didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Jay Garza, Davian Renteria, and Aiden Flores picked up one apiece. Renteria has been hot, having also posted seven or more total tackles the last seven times he's played.
Medina Valley's win bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Harlingen, their victory bumped their record up to 5-6.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Medina Valley has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 279 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Harlingen struggles in that department as they've been averaging 188.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
