Football Preview: Refugio Bobcats vs. Santa Maria Cougars
Refugio is 3-0 against Santa Maria since October of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. A feisty cat fight will be fought when Bobcats challenges the Santa Maria Cougars at 7:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Refugio sitting on three straight victories and Santa Maria on five.
Refugio's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They really took it to Kaufer for the full four quarters, racking up a 72-0 win at home. The Bobcats' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Refugio didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. Laytyn Garza picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown. Garza is also crushing it when it comes to defended passes: he's defended at least one every time he's taken the field this season. Refugio got some further help from Javonte Lewis: he picked up a sack, forced a fumble, and made 12 total tackles (9.0 for loss).
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Refugio was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 227 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 227 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Santa Maria took their game on the road two weeks ago with ease, bagging a 56-0 victory over Kaufer. That looming 56-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Cougars yet this season.
Daniel Martinez was his usual excellent self, rushing for 207 yards on only 13 carries, while also picking up 50 receiving yards. His longest rush was for an impressive 56 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
Refugio pushed their record up to 5-1 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Santa Maria, their victory bumped their record up to 5-0.
Friday's match will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Jordan King and Martinez. King has put up some stellar numbers this year, and currently owns excellent season averages 170.8 rushing yards per game this season. For his part, Martinez has averaged 136.4 rushing yards per game this season.
Everything came up roses for Refugio against Santa Maria when the teams last played back in November of 2021, as the team secured a 70-6 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Refugio 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
