Football Preview: Coconino Panthers vs. Prescott Badgers
The Coconino Panthers will take on the Prescott Badgers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Coconino comes in on three and Prescott on six.
Last Friday, Coconino was fully in charge, breezing past Mingus 49-12. Considering the Panthers have won four games by more than 22 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Coconino's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Colton Buckingham, who rushed for 66 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and Fernando Ramirez, who rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns on only 11 carries. Ramirez has been hot recently, having posted two or more rushing touchdowns the last three times he's played. Coconino also got help from Noble Young-Blackgoat, who showed off his sure hands for 161 receiving yards.
Coconino was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 211 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mingus only rushed for 101.
Meanwhile, Prescott earned a 27-17 victory over Bradshaw Mountain on Thursday.
Uriah Tenette continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 110 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries, while also throwing for 129 yards and a touchdown.
Coconino pushed their record up to 5-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. As for Prescott, their victory bumped their record up to 7-1.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Coconino has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 152.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Prescott struggles in that department as they've been averaging 181.4. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Coconino didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Prescott in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, but they still walked away with a 42-37 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Coconino since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
