Football Game Preview: Shafter Generals vs. Kennedy Thunderbirds

Shafter and Kennedy are an even 5-5 against one another since September of 2015, but not for long. The Generals will face off against the Thunderbirds at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Shafter will be strutting in after a win while Kennedy will be coming in after a loss.

Shafter is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They claimed a resounding 59-7 victory over Delano. With the Generals ahead 49-7 at the half, the game was all but over already.

Shafter's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Mariyon Sloan led the charge by rushing for 139 yards and three scores on only seven carries, while also picking up 45 receiving yards and one TD. Sloan's longest rush was for an impressive 51 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Alex Reyna was in the mix as well, providing Shafter with two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Kennedy's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They were just a hair shy of victory and fell 55-54 to Wasco.

Shafter will have to contain Jace Demacabalin as he made an impact in Kennedy's last game. He rushed for 367 yards and six scores while picking up 14.1 yards per carry. Thanks to that big game, Demacabalin is now up to 17 rushing touchdowns on the season. Jamison Membreve was another key back, rushing for 78 yards and one TD on only seven carries.

The win made it two in a row for Shafter and bumps their season record up to 6-1. The victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 14 points in those games. As for Kennedy, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-2.

Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Sloan and Demacabalin. Sloan just won't slow down this season and has run in 15 touchdowns while averaging 141 rushing yards per game. Demacabalin has been a dominant force too and has run in 17 touchdowns while averaging 159.3 rushing yards per game.

Shafter didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Kennedy in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, but they still walked away with a 34-28 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Demacabalin, who rushed for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 7.3 yards per carry. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Generals still be able to contain Demacabalin? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.