Basketball Game Preview: Monterey Trail Mustangs vs. Franklin Wildcats

Monterey Trail has won four straight games at home, while Franklin has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Monterey Trail Mustangs will host the Franklin Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.

Last Wednesday, Monterey Trail was fully in charge, breezing past Pleasant Grove 82-39. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 43rd, while the Eagles are ranked 546th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Franklin took on Laguna Creek on Wednesday. Franklin put the hurt on Laguna Creek with a sharp 87-64 victory. The Wildcats have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 15 matchups by 20 points or more this season.

Monterey Trail better keep an eye on Aiden Rollins. He was instrumental in Franklin's win, going 8-for-9 en route to 17 points and six assists. Hayden Trach was another key player, dropping a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards.

Monterey Trail is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 22-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.6 points over those games. As for Franklin, their win bumped their record up to 22-5.

Monterey Trail was able to grind out a solid victory over Franklin in their previous matchup back in January, winning 72-61. Does Monterey Trail have another victory up their sleeve, or will Franklin turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.