Football Preview: Ponderosa Mustangs vs. Dakota Ridge Eagles
The Ponderosa Mustangs will take on the Dakota Ridge Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Thursday, everything came up roses for Ponderosa at home against Chaparral as the squad secured a 48-7 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Mustangs.
Ponderosa found their leader in underclassman Colter Espinoza, who threw for 165 yards and two touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes, and also rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown. Another player making a difference was De'Alcapon Veazy, who rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
Ponderosa's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged five passes before it was all said and done. Max Mervin led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. Ponderosa got some further help from Caden Miller: he picked up a sack and made eight total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Dakota Ridge faced Cherokee Trail in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. Dakota Ridge took down Cherokee Trail 31-13. The victory was familiar territory for the Eagles who have now won four contests in a row.
Dakota Ridge's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Trent Moench, who rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown, and also caught a touchdown. Kellen Behrendsen was another key passer, throwing for 178 yards and two touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes.
Dakota Ridge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 223 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 223 rushing yards in four consecutive games.
Ponderosa now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Dakota Ridge, they pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Ponderosa has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 156.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Dakota Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 230. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Ponderosa ended up a good deal behind Dakota Ridge in their previous matchup back in September of 2019, losing 20-6. Can Ponderosa avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
